(JNS.org) Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in China on Sunday, May 5, to begin the first visit by an Israeli prime minister to the country in six years. One current challenge the Jewish state faces is the possibility that China will see Israel’s close relationship with the U.S. as an obstacle to Israel-China ties, a determination that might cause China, which is becoming increasingly involved with the Middle East, to increase its reliance on Arab oil and ignore ties with Israel. China, however, believes that Israel holds one of the main keys to stability in the Middle East, and also views Israel as “a source of advanced technologies, and China has an interest in promoting its science and technology ties with Israel and perhaps even energy ties as Israel’s natural gas industry develops,” Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies said in a study. For now, China is showing a balanced diplomatic approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.