The US Pulls Israel Away From China

A pressure campaign is cutting Beijing off from a crucial source of advanced technology

- Sarah Zheng and Coco Liu, with Daniel Avis and Alan Crawford

On July 13, Joe Biden began his first presidential visit to Israel. The country doesn't see eye to eye with the US on a number of crucial foreign policy issues, such as the Biden administration's attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal or its tough stance on Russia over the war in Ukraine. But the trip could give Biden a chance to highlight real progress in another geopolitical arena: the US rivalry with China over advanced technologies.

A long-running US effort to steer Israel's tech industry away from China had yielded only patchy results, but now it seems to be working. Ties between Israel's tech sector and China have eroded in recent years, threatening to cut off a key remaining option for Beijing to access strategically important technology.

Despite its size, Israel is an essential focus for geopolitical maneuvering over tech. It's a major hub for cybersecurity companies, many staffed by veterans of elite military intelligence units. About 40% of the private global investment in cybersecurity now takes place in Israel, according to the country's National Cyber Directorate. Hundreds of foreign companies have also set up research and development centers in the country.