The following is an interview with His Excellency Ambassador Cai Run on the occasion of the 30-year anniversary of official relations between the State of Israel and the People's Republic of China.
Q: How do you summarize the first 30 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and the People's Republic of China and what will the next 30 years look like?
The year of 2022 is of special significance as it marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Israel. It is important for us to review the past achievements and experience, and envision the future of China-Israel ties. Fruitful outcomes have been achieved in the past three decades, and we are glad to see the sound momentum in our bilateral relations. In October 2022, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully held, and China has embarked on a new journey of development. China's new development will bring new opportunities for China-Israel relations and practical cooperation. Looking into the next 30 years, we have full confidence in the brighter prospects of our bilateral ties.
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In a phone call in November 2021, President Xi Jinping and President Isaac Herzog reached important consensus on and charted a course for the development of bilateral ties. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of China-Israel diplomatic relations, the two Presidents exchanged congratulatory messages and agreed to take this opportunity to deepen bilateral ties. Over the past three decades, with the concerted efforts made by both sides, China-Israel relations have achieved fruitful outcomes.
First, political mutual trust has been ever-increasing. Leaders of the two countries have kept close interaction, and friendly exchanges have been carried out at all levels. We established the China-Israel Intergovernmental Mechanism of Economic and Technological Cooperation in 2013, and the China-Israel Joint Committee on Innovation Cooperation (JCIC) in 2014. In 2017, we launched the China-Israel Innovative Comprehensive Partnership. In 2022, overcoming the difficulties brought by the pandemic, China and Israel successfully convened the fifth meeting of JCIC and held a series of activities to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, injecting new impetus and vitality into our bilateral relations.
Second, mutually beneficial cooperation has embraced vigorous development. The bilateral trade volume has risen from only $50 million when China and Israel first established diplomatic relations, to $22.8 billion in 2021, and then to $23.57 billion in the first 11 months of 2022, exceeding the total for the whole of last year and registering a 15.7% year-on-year growth. China's new energy vehicles are popular in the Israeli market. From January to September this year, China's exports of vehicles to Israel increased by 176% year-on-year, the majority of which are new energy vehicles, forming a new driving force for trade between the two countries. Israel's exports to China and China's exports to Israel both kept increasing. Now China is Israel's largest trading partner in Asia and the second largest in the world, and also the largest source for Israel's goods imports. The two sides are accelerating negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement. Once the negotiations are concluded and the agreement is signed, it will add another strong impetus to China-Israeli cooperation. Chinese companies are actively participating in Israel's infrastructure construction and contributing to Israel's economic and social development. The two sides have worked together to build landmark cooperation projects such as the China-Israel Changzhou Innovation Park and the Shanghai Innovation Park. More than 160 Israeli companies and China-Israel joint ventures are located in these parks. Innovation cooperation has become a highlight and a driving force for bilateral relations.
Third, people-to-people exchanges have been flourishing. There were merely thousands of visits made annually between China and Israel when the diplomatic relationship was established. In 2019, 170,000 visits were made by Chinese tourists to Israel and around 100,000 by Israelis to China. Direct flights were opened between the Israeli city of Tel Aviv and the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Hong Kong. The 28 pairs of sister cities between China and Israel display our close interaction at the sub-national level. Multiple Chinese universities launched the Hebrew language course, and the Chinese language was incorporated in the curriculum of Israeli primary and middle schools as well as universities. During the fight against COVID-19, the Chinese and Israeli people have been helping each other amid difficult times, demonstrating vividly "a friend in need is a friend indeed". Israeli athletes participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and, for the first time, joined the Winter Paralympics. The team of Israel was warmly welcomed by the Chinese people. Three team members came from one Israeli family: the father being a coach and the two siblings skiing athletes. Their proud participation in the Beijing Winter Olympics has become another lovely story of friendly exchanges between China and Israel.
Over the past three decades, the China-Israel relationship managed to withstand the test of the changing international landscape, and kept growing sound and steady. This brings us much valuable experience that is worth carrying forward. First, both leaderships view our relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, and their strategic guidance has ensured the bilateral relations stay on the right track. Second, both sides firmly uphold the basic norms governing international relations such as mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, laying a more solid political foundation for bilateral ties. Third, the complementary strengths and win-win cooperation delivered benefits to both countries and peoples. Fourth, as the Chinese and Jewish people share long-standing friendly exchanges, the deepening of our traditional friendship has enhanced popular foundation for state-to-state relations.
The successful 20th CPC National Congress made clear the mission and pathway to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization, drawing a blueprint for China's future development. China's goal is to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035, and to build China into a great, modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by the middle of this century. The 20th CPC National Congress stressed that China will be committed to the basic national policy of opening up that will deliver win-win results, and that we will continue advancing high-level opening up. China's door to the world will only open wider. China's new development will offer new opportunities for Israel and all countries in the world, and open up broader prospects for China-Israel relations going forward.
For China-Israel relationship, the 30th anniversary is both an important historical juncture and a new starting point. Embracing new opportunities, China and Israel will write a new chapter of greater splendor in bilateral ties.
Q: What is Israel's role in the Belt and Road Initiative aimed at creating a modern Silk Route through Asia and beyond?
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a major initiative for international economic cooperation proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, and an important public good provided by China to the world. The initiative aims to embody the spirit of the ancient Silk Road featuring "peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit". With infrastructure construction as the mainstay, it strengthens all-round connectivity, creates new platforms for international economic cooperation, and injects new impetus for all countries to realize common development and prosperity. This initiative is open, inclusive and transparent, guided by the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. It aims to enhance connectivity in the five priority areas of policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people-to-people ties, and is committed to promoting global connectivity cooperation.
For more than nine years since it was first proposed, the Belt and Road Initiative has received broad support and participation by the international community. So far, 150 countries and 32 international organizations have signed more than 200 cooperation agreements with China, and a large number of important cooperation projects have been successfully implemented, delivering benefits to the people. The Belt and Road Initiative is now the largest international cooperation platform, opening new prospects for common development through connectivity.
China welcomes Israel's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and its constructive role in BRI cooperation. Although China and Israel haven't yet signed any Belt and Road cooperation agreement, it does not affect our practical cooperation, and Israel is also a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. We look forward to strengthening cooperation with Israel for the benefit of both countries and peoples, and for the promotion of world peace and development.
Q: To what degree do the relations with Israel affect the US-PRC ties?
China is committed to advancing friendly cooperation with all countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. We are committed to developing global partnerships featuring dialogue instead of confrontation, and partnerships rather than alliances. We are committed to building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity, justice, and mutually beneficial cooperation. China-Israel relationship doesn't target any third party, and nor should it be interfered by any third party.
Q: What can Israel learn from the PRC and what can the PRC learn from Israel?
The Chinese and Jewish people both boast a long history and splendid culture. Both have made great contributions to the development of world civilizations, and both highly value family and education. The two peoples share many similarities in values and ideals. In the meantime, there are also differences between the two sides in terms of social system, development level, religious culture and so on. However, both the common ground and differences should provide boost to mutual learning instead of serving as obstacles of bilateral exchanges. Israeli friends told me that there are many admirable things that Israel could learn from China, such as China's formulation and implementation of long-term development plans, the great capacity and rich experience in infrastructure building, and the effective measures and remarkable results of poverty reduction. I'm also told by many Chinese friends that they see many things in Israel that could be learned from. As a world-renowned "nation of innovation", Israel has its unique innovation culture and system, and has globally advanced science and technology in agriculture, medical health, etc. China hopes to further strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between the two sides, and work with Israel for common development and progress.
Q: Can we expect to see more direct flights between the two countries in the near future?
Direct flights were recently resumed from Shenzhen and Shanghai to Tel Aviv. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Israel kept close people-to-people exchanges. There were direct flights between Tel Aviv and five Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Hong Kong. As the pandemic situation eases, we believe more direct flights will be resumed. As people-to-people exchanges between China and Israel keep growing, we also look forward to the opening of more direct air routes in the future, which will further facilitate people-to-people exchanges and inject new impetus into the bilateral relations.
Q: What is your vision when it comes to the Israel-PRC trade and economic collaboration in the post-pandemic era?
Despite the severe impact of the COVID-19, economic and trade cooperation between China and Israel maintained an upward trajectory. According to our statistics, in 2020, bilateral trade volume accumulated to $17.54 billion and registered a 18.8% year-on-year growth. In 2021, it reached $22.8 billion and grew by 30%. In the first 11 months of 2022, it has already arrived at $23.57 billion, surpassing the total number of last year and yielding a 15.7% growth. This momentum fully testifies to the great potential and strong resilience of the economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.
As the pandemic continues to ease, we will see even larger space of growth in this field. China and Israel are accelerating the FTA negotiations. Once the negotiations are concluded and the agreement is signed, it will inject a new strong impetus into our economic and trade cooperation. At the same time, new growth drivers are emerging in bilateral cooperation, as represented by China's new energy vehicles and Israel's agricultural technology and health care services and products. Closer people-to-people exchanges will also bring more cooperation opportunities to both sides.
Q: Israeli tourists are very eager to return to the PRC. How has the PRC changed in terms of the tourism experience it offers?
We fully understand the eagerness of our Israeli friends. When they return to China, I believe they will feel more deeply the hospitality of the Chinese people, the new development and changes taking place in China, and the convenience provided for them to travel across the country. Similar to our Israeli friends, the Chinese tourists are also looking forward to returning to Israel for traveling and more face-to-face interactions. Amity between the people holds the key to good relations between countries. Israeli friends often say to me that state-to-state relations are not only between governments, but also between the people. Through closer exchanges, there will be deeper mutual understanding between the Chinese and Israeli people, which will further consolidate the popular foundation for bilateral ties.
Q: Many in the Israeli business community are keen on restarting their ties with Chinese counterparts after the pandemic situation eases. How will the PRC promote this effort?
Lately I have visited many Israeli companies. During my discussions with their leadership and employees, they are all eager to enhance communication and cooperation with the Chinese side after the pandemic situation eases. Cooperation between Chinese and Israeli business communities is an important part of bilateral ties, and has played an essential role in the development of bilateral relations, in particular bilateral practical cooperation. China supports greater exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Israeli business communities, the promotion of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, the fostering of a sound business environment, and the provision of more platforms and opportunities for the companies to communicate and collaborate. Of course, as market entities, the companies must make their independent choices on whether and how to cooperate. For the Chinese and Israeli sides, we need to provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment, and greater facilitation for the communication and collaboration between our business communities.
Q: Are PRC corporations as eager to invest in Israel as before? Should we expect more major investments and projects by Chinese companies in Israel?
It is companies that have the best say on this issue. Here I'll share my views based on my previous interactions and discussions with them. In recent years, many Chinese companies participated in Israel's infrastructure construction, and some of their projects became landmark projects of practical cooperation between the two countries. By participating in these projects, the Chinese companies made contributions to Israel's economic and social development, and gained new opportunities for their own development. Their cooperation has a win-win nature and delivers benefits to both countries and peoples. China-Israel cooperation does not target any third party, and nor should it be interfered by any third party. China opposes the politicization of economic and trade issues, and advocates a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from both sides to conduct exchanges and cooperation. With a sound business environment, I'm sure more Chinese companies will come to Israel to seek opportunities for cooperation and development. In the meantime, we also welcome more Israeli companies to invest and do business in China.
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