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Israeli minister ‘optimistic’ about future of ties with China

“Israel being the start-up nation and China being the leading country in growth and economy makes this connectivity very strong,” said Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi.

By The Algemeiner

A top Israeli official hailed his country’s growing ties with China in a newly published interview.

Speaking with the official Chinese state-run press agency Xinhua, Israeli Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi — a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party — said he was “optimistic” about the future of the relationship between the two nations.

“We can learn from you and you can learn from us,” he said. “Israel being the start-up nation and China being the leading country in growth and economy makes this connectivity very strong.”

According to Xinhua, bilateral trade between Israel and China totaled around $14 billion in 2018.

In January, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette cautioned Israel over investments from China, citing cyber-security concerns and the prospect of Israel‘s allies limiting intelligence-sharing with it.