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Ambassador Xiao Junzheng rejects claims that Iran is rearming with the help of Beijing.
Xiao Junzheng became China's ambassador to Israel in November 2024, knowing full well that he had arrived in a warzone.
Last week, he hosted Israel Hayom for his first major interview with the Hebrew media. The timing was not incidental; the interview was conducted approximately two weeks after the Israel-Iran ceasefire declaration, when Tehran's battlefield setbacks prompted analyst speculation about potential eastward diplomatic pivots toward Beijing for military procurement so that it could shore up its depleted supplies.
One such report came out last week in Middle East Eye, citing Arab sources. The report claimed that China had already sent surface-to-air missile systems in the two weeks since the war's conclusion. The report was denied the same day.
Xiao wanted to dispel the rumors and reports on Beijing being actively involved in such efforts, so that there would be no doubt where China stands regarding Iran's threats against Israel.
"I can tell you for sure that the Middle East Eye report is completely groundless," Xiao stated emphatically when asked about the allegations. "The Chinese side stands against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and delivery systems. We strictly restrict the export of missiles and technologies."
The latest report merely represented an ongoing series of claims, varying in credibility, suggesting a Chinese willingness to transfer military technologies to Israel's greatest adversary.
Status of Iran-China procurement
Some reports have highlighted Iranian interest in Chinese-manufactured Chengdu J-10 fighter jets, recently showcased during the recent Pakistan-India clash (and Western sources have confirmed they likely downed at least one Indian jet).
"In my personal view, there's no need for Israel to worry about this," Xiao said.
The answer could be subject to interpretation regarding the state of ongoing talks about the J-10 between Iran and China. The Chinese Defense Ministry might have different views.
Reports documenting China-Iran commercial relationships supporting Tehran's missile programs predate the war in Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported on June 5 that Iran ordered massive quantities of ammonium perchlorate from China—a critical missile industry component—sufficient for hundreds of projectiles.
Earlier, January reports documented two vessels transporting more than 1,000 tons of sodium perchlorate (utilized for ammonium perchlorate production) bound for Iran, with initial shipments reaching Iranian ports mid-February.
Throughout the interview, Xiao wore a lapel pin with Israeli and Chinese flags. Behind his chair, the two flags were prominently displayed.
During April and May, Washington imposed sanctions targeting Iranian and Chinese entities and individuals for supporting Iran's ballistic missile industry. Beyond international media coverage, Israeli officials voiced concerns about this enabling the renewal of the Iranian missile program.
Xiao blames such reports on "anonymous sources. We have noticed that for some time now, some anonymous resources have been cited to make baseless speculations and vilification against China, spreading rumors such as China provides weapons to Iran, China helps Iran to restore ballistic missile capabilities and China-Iran military cooperation harms Israel's national security.
“A lie repeated a thousand times is still a lie," Xiao, who also served as third and second secretary in the Chinese embassy in Tehran some 20 years ago, responded with unequivocal rejection to the repeated reports.
When asked about dual-use material transfers to Iran, the ambassador reiterated Beijing's official stance. "As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a responsible major country, China believes that all international disputes should be settled through dialogue and consultations and stands opposed to the use of force. We have never provided weapons to any party in the conflict. And we strictly control the export of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations."
He disclosed that consultation forums at the level of deputy director-general have been established in recent months between Jerusalem and Beijing at multiple levels and that they included these matters.
"Of course, these issues also came up [during the forums]," he said. "We strongly oppose such baseless accusations and political manipulation, and hope our Israeli friends will not be misled by these reports."
Xiao emphasizes profound appreciation for Israel and bilateral relationships, spending the hour-long interview elaborating on millennium-spanning Chinese-Jewish friendship while recalling the Chinese sanctuary provided to Jewish refugees during World War II.
This interview echoes evolving Chinese attitudes toward Israel since Oct. 7, 2023—transitioning from initially harsh, critical language to his recent ILTV appearance featuring a yellow hostage ribbon-pin on his jacket. This shift became particularly pronounced following Israeli successes against Hezbollah.
In the first months after Oct. 7, China's Foreign Ministry and associated social media accounts maintained harsh Israeli criticism, occasionally even speaking on matters that Israel considers a red line: from the Palestinian so-called right of return to the right to carry out "armed resistance" against "occupying forces."
A delicate dance on Iran
During the IDF's "Operation Rising Lion" against Iran, while Beijing's Foreign Ministry condemned Israeli actions, President Xi Jinping avoided such condemnation, instead saying "all parties should work to de-escalate the conflict as soon as possible and prevent the situation from worsening further."
Like the president, Xiao avoided condemning the Israeli military operation. He repeated China's public position on Iran's nuclear program, despite its reluctance to embrace the Israeli military action.
"China has made it clear and publicly that we oppose Iran's development and possession of nuclear weapons," the ambassador said.
Xiao even appeared to challenge Iran's threatening rhetoric, stating, "We respect Israel's right to subsistence and development. We are against some slogans by some people and some countries about wiping Israel off the map of the world."
According to reports, China, which imports approximately 90% of Iran's oil exports, told Tehran it was opposed to closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to the U.S. strike on its nuclear facilities.
Evolving rhetoric on Oct. 7
China's shift in diplomatic language on Israel's conduct in Gaza was clear in the interview as well. Following extended periods of ambiguous statements blaming both parties, the ambassador made it clear that Beijing condemns the "intrusion" by Hamas into Israeli territory.
When questioned about what China told the International Court of Justice regarding Palestinians' right to carry out "armed struggle," Xiao responded that "international law grants occupied populations rights to employ armed resistance ending foreign occupation." However, "this stops there," the ambassador stressed, noting that it does not extend to invading Israeli territory and violence against civilians.
Despite initial war-related China-Jerusalem relationship turbulence following Oct. 7, core economic connections remained largely intact. Chinese companies maintained Israeli operations, Chinese workers stayed and became increasingly essential following Palestinian employment restrictions, and Chinese corporations continued major projects, from the light rail construction in Israeli cities to Haifa port operations.
Unlike other airlines, Chinese operators continued their flights all through the war, just as they did during the coronavirus pandemic. Even in the wake of the Iran war, flights have continued, despite some routes being suspended or halted.
China's technology and the West
When questioned about reports of Chinese-manufactured vehicles being barred from Western military installations because of espionage concerns regarding electric cars, Xiao replied, "China has not and will not ask Chinese companies to transfer data overseas to the government in breach of other countries' laws."
Citing the historic bond between the peoples, he said: "Eighty years ago, Chinese diplomats in Europe issued visas for life to Jewish refugees, and Chinese cities like Shanghai offered refuge to Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution.
“But 80 years later, some people are claiming that China-made automobiles are collecting sensitive data in Israel. Is he or she implying that China intends to launch military strikes on Israel? I think no one will follow this reporter's logic."
He concluded with sharp criticism: "So what he or she did is merely copying and pasting what several Western media used to smear Chinese EVs a few years ago. I hope that Israeli friends could hold a magnifying glass in their hands for business opportunities, instead of grabbing a hammer in their hands, constantly searching for new nails to hit."
The ambassador experienced his first rocket-warning siren two days after he had arrived to begin his posting. Despite the challenges of serving in a country fighting wars on multiple fronts, he did not shy away from the difficulties and appears to be taking them in stride.
"I was awakened and I had to move to the shelter—an underground shelter," he recalls. " I have to be honest, I never had such kinds of experience, whether in China or other countries.
"This reminded me that I came here at a very special moment. … this experience also reminded me that my mission here would be a challenging one; maintaining the normal bilateral relations, I mean, especially the people-to-people exchanges and corporations under the circumstances of war and the conflict."
He expressed determination to minimize war's impact on bilateral ties: "I will try my best to try to limit the influence of the war or conflicts to the minimum level and try to bring the bilateral relations to its normal track, because I believe our bilateral relations originated a thousand years ago and the traditional friendship between our two people laid sound foundations for our current and future cooperation."
He sounds off on an optimistic note: "Many of the Chinese people believe that after the war or conflict, Israel will enter into a new period of peace, stability and development, which will bring us a huge opportunity for our high-level cooperation in different domains, in different fields."
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
