Israel-China port deal triggers U.S. Navy pushback:
While the Israeli Transportation Ministry struck the agreement with SIPG
— a company in which the Chinese government has a majority stake — back
in 2015, the Jerusalem Post reported Saturday that the deal is now
coming under interagency review.
Citing Chinese state-run media reports, the Post noted the deal granted SIPG control over Haifa for 25 years in exchange for a commitment by the company to invest $2 billion in a project to transform Haifa’s bay terminal into the largest harbor in Israel.
The catch is that Haifa, Israel’s
largest port city, regularly hosts joint U.S.-Israeli naval drills and
visits from American vessels — a situation the Post claimed has
triggered concern among U.S. officials.
