This is CBS High in the World. I'm John Bachelors.

AP from Beijing. China said that it is established a quote strategic partnership with the Palestinian

Authority during a visit to Beijing by Palestinian President Mark Maud Abbas. Malcolm Hohline

conference of presidents, Major American Jewish organizations is with me and we're very pleased

to be joined by Karee Switty, the founder and executive director of signal group that

Sino-Israel global network and academic leadership. Malcolm?

Yes. The visit of Abbas is obviously a unique moment. I think it hasn't been there for

years and it's a further reflection of China's extending its role in the Middle East. Do you

think anything will come of the visit? Does China really want to broker a Middle East

deal? Do they see themselves in that kind of position to bring Israel and the Palestinians

together? How do you evaluate this in the context of the larger up-grade of activities

by China in the Middle East?

Well, thank you very much for that question. It's in and of itself has some concerning

factors for Israel. It does not promise great success for its stated goal of trying to

find a new way to address the conflict. I don't see down the line that this partnership

is going to lead to serious fruits. We've seen many efforts by China over the last dozen

years to have the rhetoric of support for the Palestinian Authority, but they don't put

money behind it and they have had no political capital to weigh in on it. Now China is on

a sort of a diplomatic high off the success of the Saudi Iran rapprochement that they

broker. From that tailwind, seem to think that they can move the needle somehow on the

Israel-Palestinian conflict. However, their aim is to move the conflict into the United

Nations, bring in the international community, and I think Israel and the United States are

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