Grapevine: Chinese connections
Event at embassy culminated with an extraordinary virtuoso concert of traditional music by the Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Last week, the question was posed in this column as to whether it was coincidence or reconciliation behind the fact that the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China were holding their national day receptions on the same date in adjacent hotels in Tel Aviv.
It was definitely not reconciliation, as this columnist discovered at the PRC reception after informing a senior member the embassy that she would have to slip out from the David Intercontinental Hotel to go next door to the Dan Panorama after the speeches to report on the other event. He looked displeased and demanded that the two reports should not appear on the same page. The columnist reminded him that he was in Israel, not in China, and could therefore not issue such orders. The eventual compromise was that PRC would appear on the page ahead of ROC.
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Aside from that, embassy staff was most cordial and cooperative and it was a wonderful event that culminated with an extraordinary virtuoso concert of traditional Chinese music by the Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra, which proved how superbly it could also play Handel and, as an encore, performed a Chinese interpretation of “Halicha L’caesarea,” (a walk to Caesarea), better known as “Eli, Eli,” the lyrics for which were written by WWII heroine Hannah Senesh.
Prior to the addresses by Ambassador Gao Yanping and President Shimon Peres, who is a frequent guest of honor at major Chinese events, there was a continuous video showing meetings between Chinese dignitaries and well-known Israeli personalities in both China and Israel over the past 20 years.
This year is the 20th since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel, and the video was illustrative of cooperation and exchanges in politics, science, hi-tech, culture, education, business, military and sport, as well as of the transformation of China since it opened up and introduced reforms. The video also showed a sample of the huge variety of activities in which ambassador Gao has been involved since arriving in Israel just over a year ago. What she has done to enhance the relationship between China and Israel has not gone unnoticed.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called her earlier in the day to congratulate her on China’s 63rd anniversary of independence and told her, “The relationship with China is in the national interest of the State of Israel.”
Peres, who has met her many times, as she accompanied Chinese dignitaries to meetings with him, hailed her as “a great ambassador,” adding that “Israel loves you.” He told Gao that she is doing a wonderful job in representing China and promoting and enhancing the relationship between the two countries, especially in economics and culture. In the culture context he mentioned brilliant Chinese pianist Yuja Wang, who was a guest soloist this month with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Peres said that he had heard via the IPO that she is “one of the greatest pianists of our times.” Peres observed that 63 years ago, when China was poor, divided, under occupation and hopeless, no-one would have dreamed that it would become one of the most powerful and progressive countries in the world.
“The Chinese people have enriched the land of China,” he declared, and have brought about “a tremendous, profound change”. Peres suggested that the Middle East could become great by following the Chinese example of looking inwards to find its own potential. He lauded the transformation of China as “an unbelievable human achievement.” Gao introduced Peres after concluding her own address, describing him as “a very good and much-respected friend of the Chinese people, who has made a great contribution to relations between China and Israel.”
Seated on the stage next to Peres was Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav, who was there because of the twin city agreement Haifa signed with Shenzhen earlier this year.
In her own wide-ranging address, Gao spoke of the friendship that exists between Israel and China and quoted Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, who predicted that it would not be long before China would become one of the greatest nations in the world.
China has made enormous progress in political, economic, social and other fields, and is now the world’s second largest economy, said Gao. China’s foreign currency reserves now exceed US $3 trillion. Of the world’s top 500 enterprises, she noted with pride, 79 are Chinese.
In 1949, when China declared its independence, she revealed, the average life span was 41 years. Now it’s almost 75. In that 63-year period, China has also entered the space age, and China’s astronauts manually docked two space ships in outer space for the first time this year.
Though she might have some trouble convincing human rights activists that China is a firm contributor to world peace and security, advocating the building of a harmonious world of durable peace and common prosperity, Gao had no problem convincing Peres, who waxed even more lyrical about China on this particular issue than did Gao herself. Yet for all China’s great achievements, Gao acknowledged, it remains a developing country with a per-capita GDP of around US $5,400, which is roughly one-sixth of Israel’s, ranking China 100th in the world.
■ MANY ISRAELI tourists are discovering China, as are Israeli businesspeople and entertainers. Singer David D’Or was a big hit in China and, while touring, fell in love with the country and the people.
Now it’s Miri Mesika’s turn. Mesika has been invited to China in February to participate in the Chinese New Year celebrations and to sing in Hebrew on one of the most popular television programs. She’s told friends that she can hardly wait.
■ THE ROC is much more favorably disposed towards PRC than the other way around. When this columnist informed the No. 2 official at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv that she would have to first attend the PRC reception, he told her that she would be welcome whenever she arrives. In many respects, the address by Liang Jen Chang, the ROC representative who heads TECO, was similar to Gao’s, the difference being that mainland China is much bigger and has diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries whereas Taiwan, as the ROC is frequently called, has diplomatic relations with only 23 countries, and Israel isn’t one of them. This is why Knesset members are seen at ROC functions but officials from the prime minister’s and foreign minister’s offices are usually not.
Two people from the Prime Minister’s Office who were seen entering the ROC reception were asked whether they were permitted to be there. They sheepishly replied in the negative, but explained that they had an appointment with one of the guests.
The fact that there were more than 300 guests says a lot for the headway that Chang has made in Israel among MKs, diplomats, businesspeople and people in various cultural spheres as well as with recent university graduates who studied in Taiwan. Chang listed some of the challenges that Taiwan is facing, citing a new blueprint mapped out by President Ying- Jeou Ma, who was re-elected to office this past January. Lessening tensions across the Taiwan Straits comes fifth after the top priority, which is promoting sustainable economic growth and pursuing an efficiency-oriented economy to an innovation- driven one. Next comes improving the establishment of a just society through safeguarding human rights and equal gender status, plus narrowing the gap between the rich and the economically disadvantaged. Although GDP is important said Chang, GNH – “Gross National Happiness” – is more important. Third in the list of priorities is the upholding of a clean and efficient government as the core value of the administration; and fourth is protection of the environment.
“We have only one earth, and we are living in a global society,” said Chang, who pledged that his country will live up to the standards set by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At the commencement of his address, Chang said that over the past century, the Republic of China has been transformed from a backward country into an economically vibrant and politically free country. While still striving to broaden the scope of its diplomatic ties, it will continue to practice viable diplomacy to establish more substantial relations with countries with which it does not have diplomatic relations. For example, starting from November 1, Taiwanese citizens visiting the United States will no longer require a visa, even though Taiwan does not enjoy diplomatic relations with the US.
Israel is another case-in-point. A visa waiver agreement between Israel and Taiwan was signed more than a year ago. Taiwan greatly cherishes its relations with Israel, said Chang, and respects and admires both Israel and the Jewish people.
He was also pleased to report that in 2011, trade between Taiwan and Israel reached NIS 5.3 billion.
Kadima MK Nachman Shai, who served as chairman of the Israel Taiwan Friendship League in the Knesset, said he was proud of the progress that had been made in intensifying the relationship since Chang’s assumption of office.
“There is a growing appreciation and understanding of the importance of the Republic of China,” he said. Many Israelis, including MKs, travel there and come back as unofficial ambassadors for ROC.
Not knowing at this stage what his political future will be, Shai could not say whether he or someone else will head the Friendship League in the next Knesset.
“But whatever happens in the elections, whoever serves in my position will do their utmost to bring our two countries together,” he said. The evening concluded with a jazz recital.
Jerusalem Post – 23 Oct 2012