Two top Chinese tech companies, Alibaba and Baidu, have ‘removed’ the State of Israel from their recently released digital maps. Although the maps demarcate the internationally recognized borders of Israel, they do not mention the name of the country.
It is noteworthy that the companies didn’t even fail to mention the names of nations as small as Luxembourg in the maps but neglected the State of Israel.
China’s stand on Israel-Palestine issue
On the Israel-Palestine issue, China has openly shown support for the Palestinian cause, a position maintained since the time of Mao Zedong.
Recently, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing hoped that the issue would be resolved in a “just and lasting manner” on the basis of the “two-state solution.”
Addressing a press briefing in Beijing, Mao said, “We sincerely hope that the Palestinian question will be resolved in a comprehensive, just, and lasting manner on the basis of the two-state solution. On the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, our position is highly consistent with that of the Arab states.”
Who are Alibaba and Baidu, who ‘dropped’ Israel from maps?
Alibaba and Baidu are Chinese multinational technology companies. While Baidu, headquartered in Beijing, specializes in internet-related services, products, and artificial intelligence, Alibaba is famous for its role in e-commerce, retail, internet, and technology.
As these two companies operate globally, their decision to ‘drop’ Israel from their digital maps is being seen seriously.
Their decision is seen as in line with the stand of the Chinese government.
