Aston Kwok

China-Israel relations in the midst of Covid-19 epidemic - a continuing balancing act

Monday May 4th, 11 am

In 2018 the relationship between Israel and China seemed to be a "match made in heaven" (Netanyahu, during his Beijing visit). However, tensions have since begun to appear in this diplomatic relationship, especially in light of Trump’s trade war with China and expressions of concern from Israel’s security establishment about China’s increasing interest in Israel. This balancing act has become more challenging in the context of the geopolitics surrounding the global epidemics. What are the opportunities and risks for both sides? Aston will analyse the recent development of the relations of two nations with converging trade interests and diverging geopolitical interests.

Bio: Aston is a teacher of Social Science at Moriah College (Sydney, Australia), with a BA (Honours) in Chinese history (University of Sydney), Grad.Dip. in Education (UNSW), and Masters degree in International Relations (UNSW), focusing on Putin’s role in the Iran nuclear negotiations. Aston has a keen interest in Chinese foreign policy, especially in relation to the Middle East. Having previously explored the Israel–China relationship at Limmud Oz 2018 and 2019, Aston hopes to track and update its development.