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‘US poodle’: Chinese media angry over reports Israel will avoid China’s 5G

“This is a scandal and ingratitude,” tweeted a reporter from The China Daily, the only official English language newspaper of the Chinese government.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Chinese media – and therefore the Chinese government – has expressed anger at news that Israel and the U.S. are close to a deal to exclude China from Israel’s 5G networks.

“This is a scandal and ingratitude,” tweeted a reporter from The China Daily, the only official English language newspaper of the Chinese government.

“Chinese cities like Shanghai have provided shelter to 30,000 Jews who fled Nazi Germany in World War II, but now Israel shows its gratitude by being a U.S. poodle against China in 5G,” he continued.

English-language Chinese paper Global Times, while less harsh in its criticism, warned that U.S. interference could damage economic cooperation between China and Israel, Ynet reported on Wednesday.

“In the future, this could affect normal economic activity, trade and investment between the two countries. China-Israel relations are unlikely to be materially affected by baseless allegations by senior U.S. officials, but China may be more cautious while trading or investing in Israel,” the paper said.

China has not officially expressed its disapproval through diplomatic channels as far as is known, Ynet reports.

The newspapers were reacting to an August 14 Reuters report citing a U.S. official that the U.S. and Israel would likely sign a memorandum of understanding “within weeks” committing Israel to steer clear of Chinese technology for its next-generation 5G telecom networks.

The U.S. is eager to limit Chinese influence among its allies. Tensions between the two countries have risen since the coronavirus outbreak. The U.S. blames China for allowing its spread.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in June expressed the need for Israel and the U.S. to confront the Chinese Communist Party.

That followed a May 13 visit to Israel by Pompeo. On the agenda was curbing China’s role in major Israeli infrastructure projects. The U.S. had already expressed its concerns about Chinese companies running Israel’s two major ports, which are used by the U.S. Navy.

Two weeks after Pompeo’s visit, China lost a bid to run Israel’s largest desalination plant.

Earlier in Nov. 2019, Israel agreed to keep tabs on Chinese investment at the request of the U.S. It set up a new oversight body led by the Finance Ministry and composed of a number of security agencies.