Liu Jianchao, the head of the international affairs department of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), reportedly cautioned Israel not to allow rising US pressure to damage their bilateral relations, according to a senior official of the Israeli Foreign Ministry that spoke with Axios.

The message from Liu Jianchao, one China’s top diplomats, was delivered to the Israeli Ambassador in Beijing, Irit Ben-Abba, during a meeting on 10 August.

Liu highlighted that, while China recognizes Israel’s special relationship with the US, it closely monitors their own policies toward China.

The CPC official also warned of “a critical test point for the relations between China and Israel,” and asked to push forward a positive bilateral relationship, as opposed to Israel aligning itself with Washington’s anti-China policies. 

“The Jewish people have a lot in common with the Chinese people. There is no reason for us to hurt each other. If Israel hurts China because of external pressure, it will be making the wrong policy decision,” Liu highlighted, according to Axios’ sources.

In response to Liu, the Israeli ambassador said his government has an “independent foreign policy,” stressing that China’s support for the Palestinian cause “does not help relations.”

China has in the past harshly criticized Israel for their continued violations of the human rights of Palestinians.

On 8 August, one day after Israel stopped their latest bombing campaign in Gaza, the Chinese permanent representative to the UN, Zhang Jun, urged the international community to take concrete steps to reach a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.

Beijing’s cautionary statements towards Israel came mere days after western media revealed the CIA is moving most of their money and resources towards countering the rise of China and Russia.

According to AP, last month Deputy CIA Director David Cohen said that the “top priority [of the CIA] is trying to better understand and counter Beijing,” adding that the agency still plans to continue “fighting extremist groups” in West Asia.

The US has for a while reduced its public comments on so-called counterterrorism efforts and has shifted the focus on the economic, military and political “threats” posed by Russia and China.

This new focus is part of a US geopolitical strategy to protect Washington’s global dominance under a hegemonic and unipolar system.

This was most apparent on 2 August, when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan in a provocative move that outraged Beijing.

Pelosi’s visit raised concerns worldwide that Washington is preparing to drag China into an armed conflict similar to the ongoing one in Ukraine, where the expansionist agenda of NATO devolved into war back in February.