Chinese State Media Capitalize on Confrontation at Forum to Push Anti-Israel Narrative

The incident occurred at China’s Xiangshan Forum, a security gathering that a China expert says is a platform for the CCP to disseminate propaganda.
Chinese State Media Capitalize on Confrontation at Forum to Push Anti-Israel Narrative
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun speaks at the opening ceremony of the Xiangshan Forum at the Beijing International Convention Center in Beijing on Sept. 18, 2025. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images
Frank Fang
Frank Fang
Reporter
&
Eva Fu
Eva Fu
Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

China’s state-run media outlets are pushing an anti-Israel narrative built around a public confrontation in which a Chinese scholar clashed with an Israeli military officer over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The incident occurred on the sidelines of the annual Xiangshan Forum, which is widely regarded as China’s version of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a premier regional security summit held annually in Singapore. According to China’s state-run media, the heated exchange happened on Sept. 17, the first day of the three-day forum.