In 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 web users.
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 the consulate’s social media account on Wednesday, Gadi Harpaz described his five years as Israeli consul general in the southwestern Chinese city as “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 operations in July.
Israel currently operates consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, apart from its embassy in Beijing.