At first sight, it is difficult to imagine two nations more different to each other than China and Israel. China is four hundred times Israel's size and two hundred times its population. One is the heart of Asia; the other a bridge between West and East. However, China and Israel have many characteristics in common. Here are a few examples:

• Long History - both nations span at least four millennia, being the only nations on earth who claim such continuous national identity
• Redefined national identities - Modern Israel in 1948 and modern China in 1949
• China and Israel are proudly loyal to their respective ancient tongues and their unique alphabet
• Both nations have had a major influence in human civilization, in its culture, literature, and sciences. World history is unimaginable without either the Chinese of the Jews
• Both China and Israel started a modernization of their economy. The models upon which Mao Zedong and Ben-Gurion conceived the economy was state-oriented, while the more recent leaders of both countries launched a campaign to open their economies to the free market.

As Chinese Stateman, Wu Ting Fang put it: "The Chinese and the Jews have always been friends and not enemies. Both have been persecuted and despised... The Jews and Chinese are despised not on account of their vices... but on account of their virtues, on account of their industry, economy, perseverance, thrift".