Olmert meets Chinese president Hu Jintao Thursday at end of his official visit to China

In his talks with the Chinese president and prime minister Wen Jiabao, the Israeli prime minister emphasized that Iran’s program is both an existential threat to Israel and a global menace. Beijing was the Israeli prime minister’s last way station in his tour to persuade permanent UN Security Council members to take tough action against the Islamic Republic.
However, like Russia, China is opposed to Iran’s nuclear activities, but prefers to address it through negotiation, in contrast to the United States and some European governments. The Israeli prime minister argued that by threatening Middle East stability, the Islamic Republic also jeopardizes the stability of China’s supply of oil.
Olmert argued that by threatening Middle East stability, the Islamic Republic also jeopardizes the stability of China’s supply of oil.
His Beijing talks are expected to lead to increased bilateral trade, which now stands at more than $3bn per year. But China’s key trade links in the Middle East today are with Iran.
The day before Olmert’s arrival in Beijing, Iran’s senior nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani left.
The Israeli prime minister could do with some diplomatic momentum to ease his embarrassments at home. According to a television report, he could face a police probe on suspicion of improperly favoring cronies in his former public jobs.
For Olmert, the trip to Beijing was also a sentimental journey. His grandparents belonged to a group of Russian Jews who settled in northern China at the turn of the last century to escape Russian pogroms.