A special delegation headed by National Security Council chief Yossi Cohen will leave for China in the coming weeks to hold a strategic dialogue with Chinese officials.

National Security Council chief Yossi Cohen

Political sources said Tuesday that while Israel’s unique relationship with the United States was invaluable, Israel cannot ignore China’s growing standing as a world power and the subsequent need to reinforce Jerusalem’s ties with Beijing.

Israel maintains strategic dialogues with a number of key nations, including the U.S., Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Russia. These dialogues focus, first and foremost, on issues pertaining to defense and security, alongside fostering solid economic ties.

Israel is barred from collaborating with China on defense matters due to various agreements it has with the U.S. and other key Western nations, and its ties with Beijing have so far been predominately based on bilateral trade.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to bolster ties with China both on a political level, as it is a key player in the international community’s efforts to stop a nuclear Iran, as well as on an economic level.

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang had invited Netanyahu to visit China again this year and attend a major economic conference, but Netanyahu decided to decline the invitation, as he is scheduled to visit both the U.S. and South America in the coming months.

Formerly the deputy Mossad chief, Cohen holds the “Iranian portfolio” at the Prime Minister’s Office. He serves as Israel’s liaison to the European Union, heads the efforts to normalize diplomatic relations with Turkey and is in charge of Israel’s strategic relations with the Arab world and other strategic partners, such as China.