Excerpt
October 31, 2022, Book Chapter: "The enormous growth of China’s investments in Israel has become one of the major changes in the Middle East’s geopolitics during the last decade. This paper examines the nationalist motivation behind China’s investment in Israeli technologies and Israel’s strategic role in China’s intended transition from the “world factory” to a global innovation champion. China’s engagement with Israel in the Belt and Road Initiative reflects Chinese techno-nationalism, and the Chinese government has used nationalist discourse to mobilize private enterprises to invest in Israeli technology, promoting the growth of Chinese private investments alongside Chinese state-affiliated investments in Israel since 2014. This chapter also analyses how the surge in Chinese investment activities has shaped larger debates and tensions in Israel’s policymaking and national identity."