Claim: A video shows Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reprimanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a recent press conference.
Fact: The video is from a press conference from 18 December 2013 and does not show the Chinese leader reprimanding Netanyahu. At the time, the Chinese leader spoke about pursuing friendly relations between the two countries.
On 14 April, an X user posted a video (archive) supposedly showing the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reprimanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint press conference.
The description reads:
“Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi publicly reprimands Netanyahu.
First, Netanyahu waited 8 hours before being received.
Then the text of the agreement was thrown into the trash in front of the cameras.
And Wang Yi’s look finished the rest.”
Another Instagram user shared the clip (archive), stating: “A moment from a recent press conference has gone viral, showing China’s Foreign Minister reacting strongly while returning a notice reportedly linked to Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Wang Yi served as the Chinese Foreign Minister from 2013 to 2022. He was replaced by Qin Gang for a short period of time before getting reappointed as the foreign minister in July 2023.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched keyframes from the video and found that it is not recent. It is from 12 years ago. Moreover, analyzing the clip revealed that the Chinese foreign minister did not reprimand Netanyahu.
The official YouTube channel of the Israeli prime minister published the original video on 18 December 2013. It shows a press conference by the two officials, titled: “Statements by PM Netanyahu and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi”. At the 5:41 mark, this clip matches the footage being fact-checked.
Left: video shared in the claim. Right: the original press conference between the two countries from December 2013.
An analysis of the footage then revealed that it does not show the Chinese foreign minister rebuking Netanyahu either.
Although the clip shows Yi returning the paper handed to him by someone who appears to be a staff member, right before he spoke, the complete press conference does not include any instance of the Chinese leader reprimanding the Israeli prime minister.
Right after returning the paper, Yi listens to the translation of Netanyahu’s statement in Chinese. Then at 6:30, he shakes hands with Netanyahu, who tells him, “Welcome to Israel, welcome to Jerusalem.” The moment shows the two officials embracing a friendly posture.
At 6:37, Yi speaks about his trip’s purpose to enhance friendly relations between the two countries. The translated version of his statement as televised in the press conference is as follows:
“It gives me great pleasure to come to Israel, and this is my first trip to this country as the Chinese foreign minister. My colleagues told me that once you have come to this country, you will gradually fall in love with the country. Now I have come to see the country, and I try to find a secret to that. For the furtherance of friendship between our two countries. Indeed, there’s a profound traditional friendship between the people of our two countries. We all well remember that during the Second World War, when many countries and regions in the world closed their doors to you.”
Both officials shake hands again before the press conference ends. Our review of the complete footage, therefore, confirms that the Chinese FM did not reprimand Netanyahu at any point during the press conference, and social media posts shared a small part of the clip with false context.
The Israeli prime minister also spoke about enhancing trade and bilateral relations between the two countries.
Furthermore, the press releases about the meeting were published by both countries here and here. In particular, the statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the press conference also highlighted improving bilateral trade between the two countries rather than any harsh stance.
Therefore, Soch Fact Check rates the claim as false.
Virality
The X post garnered approximately 39,800 views, was reposted 212 times, and received 764 likes.
It was also shared on X here, here, here, and here.
The video appeared on Instagram here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here,
On Facebook here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here.
Conclusion: The video is not recent and does not show the Chinese foreign minister reprimanding Netanyahu. The clip is from December 2013 and, in fact, shows both officials speaking about improving bilateral relations between China and Israel.
Background image in cover photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs People’s Republic of China
To appeal against our fact-check, please send an email to appeals@sochfactcheck.com