Publication

This text argues that Sino-Israel relations have improved recently, but problems still remain. A case in point is Syria. Israel wants the Assad regime to go, while China prefers the secular government to stay. The collision of interests matters because 1) there are 1000s of Chinese Uyghurs who have joined al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates in Syria, and 2) they’re intermingled with ‘moderate’ jihadists that are sponsored by the US and its allies. Not surprisingly, Beijing wants the Uyghurs eliminated. So much so that it could increase its military support to the Syrian Army and risk escalating and extending the civil conflict.