JERUSALEM — China’s foreign minister paid a rare visit to Israel on Wednesday, reflecting the burgeoning trade ties between the two countries. But the trip was clouded by fresh accusations that Israel’s prime minister had compromised the global war on terrorism under heavy Chinese pressure.
Wang Yi’s visit came as the family of a Jewish-American teenager killed in a suicide bombing accused Israel of caving in to Chinese pressure by blocking the testimony of a key witness in a terrorism case against the Bank of China. In an awkward welcome for the Chinese official, details of the case splashed across the front pages of Israeli newspapers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made relations with China a priority. Last May, he led a large delegation to China, meeting with top political and business officials and agreeing with his counterparts to establish a ‘‘task force’’ to improve trade ties.
In broad terms, Israel is a tiny trade partner for China. Bilateral trade is expected to be about $8 billion this year, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry. But China is interested in many technologies where Israel is considered a world leader.
Neither man mentioned the Bank of China case, which has emerged as a sticky issue in relations. The bank denies any wrongdoing.