Amid recent bilateral friction, Beijing has no intention of maliciously damaging relations with Middle East country, analyst says
3-MIN READ3-MIN1 ListenFan ChenPublished: 8:00pm, 7 Aug 2026In a sign of fraying ties amid the Middle East conflict, Israel’s consulate general in Chengdu has closed with its consul general leaving his post, two years after a controversy stoked backlash among Chinese netizens.Nevertheless, an analyst has downplayed the impact of the news, saying bilateral relations in recent years had already been strained.
In a letter published on Wednesday, Gadi Harpaz called his five years as Israeli consul general in the southwestern Chinese city “the most memorable of his diplomatic career” and said he was parting “with a deep sense of sadness and nostalgia”.
“Although the consulate general is closing, the bridges of friendship, mutual respect and shared memories we built over the last five years will endure,” Harpaz wrote.
Following an initial announcement in June, the consulate in Chengdu officially ceased its operations in July.
Israel currently operates consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, as well as its embassy in Beijing.
