Israel was the first country in the Middle East to recognize the People’s Republic of China in 1950. While official diplomatic relations were established 18 years ago, on January 24, 1992, China’s relationship with the Jewish people actually dates back several thousand years. The first Jewish community in China, in Kaifeng in Henan, was founded in 960 AD and flourished up until the 19th century. Throughout history, China was a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution in Europe. At the end of the 19th century, the people of Heilongjiang offered refuge to Jews fleeing massacres in Russia, and during the darkest chapter of Jewish history, when millions of Jews were hounded by the Nazis during the Holocaust, China was among the few nations that allowed Jewish refugees to enter its borders.

The long history of friendship between Israel and China is based on mutual respect, common values and shared traditions that date back thousands of years. Israeli Prime Minister and founding leader David Ben-Gurion was among the first to recognize as early as 1937 that China is a world leader, with which ties must be fostered. In like form, the founding father of modern China, Sun Yat-Sen, expressed support for a national home for the Jewish people even before the State of Israel was established.

 

Israeli representation offices in China have multiplied over the last two decades. The Consulate General of Israel in Hong Kong opened in 1984. Upon the formal establishment of diplomatic ties, the Embassy of Israel was established in Beijing in 1992. This was closely followed by the Consulate General of Israel in Shanghai in 1994, and, most recently, the Consulate General of Israel in Guangzhou in 2009.

 

Since the establishment of ties, statesmen of all levels, scientists and academics have exchanged visits in an effort to bolster the special relationship between Israel and China in the fields of politics, business, education, technology and agriculture. Over the last few years, there has been a significant increase in the high-level exchanges between Israel and China on both bilateral and global issues, including state visits by prominent leaders on both sides: Israeli President Chaim Herzog (1992), Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1993), Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (1998), Israeli President Ezer Weizman (1999), Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (2007), Israeli President Shimon Peres (2008), President of the PRC Jiang Zemin (2000), Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Lui Qi (2007), Liu Yunshan (2009) and Deputy Prime Minister Hui Liangyu (2010), as well as many provincial leaders and professional ministers.