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Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, a journalist and China expert, has argued that the Chinese government is exploiting the Israel-Hamas conflict to further its global authoritarian agenda. In an article published in Axios on October 15, Allen-Ebrahimian highlighted China's efforts to influence surrounding Arab nations on authoritarian practices and erode human rights protections.
According to Allen-Ebrahimian, China is strategically capitalizing on the recent Israel-Hamas violence to cultivate stronger ties with Arab nations and advance its global ambitions. She quoted Jonathan Fulton, a senior non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, who stated, "China is trying to promote alternative norms in global politics, and China sees Arab states as a natural constituency for China to try to attract. By appealing to Arab countries, they'll get more support for the reforms they want to push through in the international system."
Allen-Ebrahimian also reported that the Chinese government condemned the "violence against civilians" in relation to the Israel-Hamas war but did not explicitly call out Hamas by name. China issued statements calling for an independent Palestinian state, which Allen-Ebrahimian believes is an attempt to score points with Arab countries.
Furthermore, Chinese media has been blaming the United States for rising tensions in the Middle East, including its support for the Israeli government. By positioning itself as a "neutral" party in the conflict and offering help for a peace deal, China is reinforcing its distance from the US, which is a strong supporter of Israel. Allen-Ebrahimian noted that the Chinese government maintains "warm ties" with both sides of the conflict.
Allen-Ebrahimian's analysis is based on her extensive reporting on China and her access to classified documents known as the "China Cables," which provided evidence of human rights abuses within the Chinese Communist Party. She stated, "the China Cables were incredibly important in building a case for crimes against humanity and genocide, because they put forward irrefutable proof that the Party knew what it was doing." Allen-Ebrahimian also highlighted China's innovative strategies for shaping the behavior of governments, companies, and individuals around the world to align with the Chinese Communist Party's interests.
Overall, Allen-Ebrahimian's article raises concerns about China's exploitation of the Israel-Hamas conflict to advance its global authoritarian agenda and erode human rights protections.
