Razan Shawamreh, PhD, is a scholar of International Relations specializing in Chinese studies, with a particular focus on China’s foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa. She currently lectures in the Global Studies and International Relations MA program at Al-Quds University—Bard College.
From this author
This policy memo shows how China’s “biased impartiality,” which privileges the Israeli regime, drives its strategic distancing from the genocide in Gaza. This position is not simply the result of US dominance over Israel-related affairs but a calculated decision to protect China’s long-term interests. By calling for Palestinian unity without exerting pressure on the Israeli government, Beijing shields its ties with the Zionist state under the guise of restraint. In addition, it deflects responsibility for stopping the genocide onto the UN Security Council, casting ceasefire, humanitarian access, and prisoner release as obligations for others in order to absolve itself of direct accountability.
