Benjamin Netanyahu with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at an official welcoming ceremony. Photo: Israel GPO.

JNS.org – A special delegation headed by Israeli National Security Council chief Yossi Cohen will leave for China in the coming weeks to hold a strategic dialogue with Chinese officials, Israel Hayom reported.

Political sources said Tuesday that Israel cannot ignore China’s growing standing as a world power and the subsequent need to reinforce Jerusalem’s ties with Beijing. Israel maintains strategic dialogues with a number of key nations, including the U.S., Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Russia. These dialogues focus, first and foremost, on issues pertaining to defense and security, alongside fostering solid economic ties.

Israel is barred from collaborating with China on defense matters due to various agreements it has with the U.S. and other key Western nations, and its ties with Beijing have so far been predominately based on bilateral trade.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to bolster ties with China both on a political level, as it is a key player in the international community’s efforts to stop a nuclear Iran, as well as on an economic level.