'Israel' unnamed on Chinese online maps: WSJ
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Two Chinese companies have displayed maps online without labeling "Israel" on the occupied Palestinian borders.
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"Israel" is unnamed on Baidu's online map. (ScreenGrab/Baidu)
Internet users in China pointed out that leading online digital maps from Baidu and Alibaba don't include the name "Israel", reported the Wall Street Journal.
Baidu’s Chinese language online maps outline the borders of occupied Palestine, as well as the Palestinian territories, in addition to key cities, but don’t identify the occupation entity by name. The same case is demonstrated in Alibaba's Amap online maps, where even small nations like Luxembourg are marked.
Israel is no longer a country on China’s leading online digital maps, including on Baidu and Alibaba. pic.twitter.com/YQLwj40jz8
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 30, 2023
Both companies did not comment.
It is worth noting that it is unclear whether the development is new, however, Chinese internet users have discussed the matter since the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, China has supported a ceasefire to avoid "further escalations" and human suffering.
China calls for ceasefire
The Chinese Special Envoy on the Middle East Zhai Jun relayed on October 23 that China was expressing worry regarding a possible escalation of the war on Gaza and urged both parties to a ceasefire.
During a press conference after the Cairo Summit for Peace in Egypt, he said: "China is deeply concerned about the prospect of further escalation of the conflict," adding that the current situation in Gaza is critical.
"China opposes and strongly condemns all acts that harm civilians, opposes any acts that violate international law, and calls on all parties to maintain calm and restraint to prevent the situation from further deteriorating or even getting out of control, and to prevent a more serious humanitarian catastrophe," Zhai stated.
According to the diplomat, using violence to fight violence is only a circle that will bring more obstacles.
He expressed that "only through an early cessation of fire and hostilities and by facilitating the relaxation of the situation can the necessary conditions for a political settlement be created."
China calls on the UN to act promptly
Earlier, the Chinese Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, Zhai Jun, urged the United Nations to promptly organize a more impactful and extensive summit, surpassing the Cairo Peace Summit, to discuss the Palestinian cause.
"The United Nations should facilitate the early convening of a more authoritative, more influential, and larger-scale international peace conference," Zhai was quoted as saying by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the recent intensification of the war on Gaza underscored the undeniable significance of the Palestinian cause, which cannot be disregarded or relegated to obscurity. This comes shortly after reports of a dispute between the Arab and Western delegations surfaced at the "Cairo Peace Summit" which reportedly hindered reaching a closing statement.
