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China Tells Israel to Stop 'Forced Establishment' of Settlements
· New York time
China has told Israel to stop the “forced establishment” of West Bank settlements, according to the BBC. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of a conference, delivering the message through a direct diplomatic encounter. The setting places the exchange outside the conference's main stage but not outside its political significance. Sideline meetings allow officials to raise contentious issues while a larger gathering provides the occasion. The corridor is frequently diplomacy's busiest room, despite receiving relatively little credit in the architectural plans. China's language identifies the conduct it opposes and the location at issue. It is a statement of Beijing's position, not evidence that Israeli policy has changed in response. The practical question following such an exchange is whether a diplomatic demand produces any subsequent action. The meeting also illustrates how international conferences operate on two schedules. One contains formal sessions; the other contains encounters whose consequences may matter more than the printed agenda suggests. For now, the concrete development is Wang's communication to Herzog. Diplomatic pressure has been expressed face to face, leaving the familiar gap between a government's demand and another government's response. Even a strongly worded message does not arrive with its own enforcement department.
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