US warns Israel to be wary of China’s influence on 'advanced critical technologies'

An official of the US government emphasised that Israel should boost its efforts in safeguarding its technology industry from Chinese influence. Speaking at an annual meeting on Sino-Israel relations on Thursday, Jung H. Pak, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and for Global China Issues, said that Israel must protect its “advanced critical technologies” from China's investment efforts. 

The US “does not wish for Israel and others in the region to decouple from China… we want to promote trade in ways that do not threaten our security and human rights values,” Pak said at the Sino-Israel Global Network and Academic Leadership’s (SIGNAL) conference, according to The Times of Israel. 

Accusing China of failing to adhere to foreign investment norms, the official said: “The principles are not accepted everywhere. On the contrary, in the past they have been used for unfair profits and illiberal purposes by China.” Pak further added that China’s investment in arenas like artificial intelligence comes from “legitimate sources such as joint research developed with foreign universities, but also through theft and financial fraud,” revealing that the United States hopes that its allies “raise awareness of these risks, engage in risk assessment, and develop risk management measures.”

US-China rivalry leaves 'very big impact' on Israel

SIGNAL founder and CEO Carice Witte also recognized the US-China rivalry at the conference, and said that it has a significant impact on Israel. “This rivalry has a very big impact on us. China is interested in Israel and is looking for technology here, and at the same time, it is deploying technology all over the Middle East… As China becomes a weighty regional player, it is increasingly more important that Israel formulate a clear policy in relation to it,” Witte said. 

This isn’t the first time that the US has pressed Israel to keep a check on its economic ties with China as concerns over the latter’s growing accessibility to Israeli industries continue to mount. Earlier this year in January, Israel reportedly informed the Biden administration that it will keep the White House updated about any crucial deals it signs up for with China and will be open to reevaluating it if the US expresses any cynism.