Latest news with #China-Israel
The Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Dragon boat festival brings Chinese culture to Israel's Acre
JERUSALEM, June 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 300 participants gathered along the Mediterranean coast on Thursday as the ancient northern Israeli city of Acre hosted a colourful Chinese cultural event centred on traditional dragon boat racing. The event, held near the city's historic walls, featured boat races alongside cultural exhibitions, traditional Chinese music and dance performances, and tastings of zongzi, a glutinous rice dumpling traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival. Chinese Ambassador to Israel Xiao Junzheng, who attended the event, said it reflected growing international appreciation for the Dragon Boat Festival, which was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. "Through activities such as dragon boat racing, people from different countries experience the richness of traditional Chinese culture and promote mutual understanding among civilizations," Xiao said. He described Acre -- known for its cultural diversity and layered history -- as an ideal venue. "The arrival of this traditional Chinese custom to the shores of the Mediterranean not only highlights the vitality of China-Israel cultural exchange but also injects new momentum into people-to-people ties between the two countries," he added. Acre Mayor Loay Fares said the event's focus was less on competition and more on community and cultural engagement. "Rooted in China's ancient culture, dragon boat racing embodies important values such as teamwork, loyalty, perseverance, and community spirit," he said. "It has become a window for Israeli citizens to engage with Chinese culture and has breathed new life into this historic city, blending tradition with modernity." Local resident Karen Kadosh, who took part in the race for the first time, called the experience "fascinating." "It's a team sport that gave me a real taste of traditional Chinese culture," she said, adding that it sparked a growing interest in Chinese festivals and traditions. The Dragon Boat Festival, which commemorates the death of the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan, is celebrated annually on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
The Star
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Business event held in Tel Aviv to promote health industry cooperation between Chinese, Israeli firms
JERUSALEM, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A business event aimed at promoting cooperation between Chinese and Israeli enterprises in the life and health industry was held on Thursday in Tel Aviv, Israel's economic hub. The event, organized by the China-Israel Changzhou Innovation Park, brought together over 100 representatives from the government and the business, technology, and medical sectors of both countries. During the event, Chinese and Israeli companies inked agreements on technological cooperation, and several Israeli firms signed deals to join the innovation park. Speaking at the event, Chinese Ambassador to Israel Xiao Junzheng emphasized that technological innovation is a key driver of the healthy development of China-Israel relations. He said that China, boasting a vast, unified market, a comprehensive industrial system, and a growing innovation ecosystem, complements Israel's strengths in original research and its well-established innovation environment. Shen Dong, a senior official from east China's Changzhou city, home to the innovation park, said the park has become a "key window" for China-Israel scientific cooperation over the past decade, particularly in the health sector. He noted that it has attracted nearly 300 Israeli companies and joint ventures.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
China signals willingness to boost Israel ties despite strains from Gaza conflict
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the country is still willing to work with Israel to improve ties. Wang made comments in a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, the highest-level direct talks between the two sides since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. The war, which began after the Hamas attack on Israel, has put relations under strain with China condemning Israel's actions and expressing its support for the Palestinian cause and a two-state solution - something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. China, however, has maintained close economic ties with Israel since its founding and Israel is among the few developed economies that has taken part in China's Belt and Road Initiative, a transcontinental infrastructure project. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang hailed the long friendship between the Chinese and Jewish people, in particular their mutual help during World War II. "China always views the development of China-Israel relations from a long-term perspective and is willing to work with Israel to advance the development of the China-Israel innovative comprehensive partnership," Wang said. The partnership agreement, signed in 2017, was the second one of its kind following a similar deal with Switzerland, and saw the two sides agree to expand technology and trade ties, while Beijing also agreed to invest in Israeli infrastructure. On Saturday, Wang called for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and said he hoped for an "effective implementation" of the current arrangements, in which Israel and Hamas agreed to exchange hostages. He also said: "China is willing to continue to uphold justice and play a constructive role in the comprehensive and thorough resolution of the Palestinian issue." Saar, in a statement cited by the Times of Israel, urged Beijing to adopt a "balanced" policy in the region and stressed the need for economic pressure on Iran. Wang spoke to then-Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi by phone in October last year and called for a de-escalation in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Tehran-backed Lebanese militia. Pan Guang, a specialist in Middle East and Jewish affairs at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said the meeting allowed China to clarify its position on Gaza and signalled that both countries were willing to revive cooperation. "China is very happy to see a Gaza ceasefire ... especially its businesspeople," Pan said. "There is so much that could be done following a ceasefire." He added that China's embassy in Israel was already planning events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war this year. The Gaza conflict disrupted Chinese shipping routes to Europe when vessels came under attack from Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, forcing costly diversions. The conflict has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians and 1,700 Israelis. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
