Political representatives of two of the world's oldest cultures met in Beijing last week and established diplomatic relations. "This is a moment we have awaited for a long time," exulted Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy. The accord between the Jewish state and China culminates a 40-year effort by Israel, one of the first noncommunist countries to recognize the People's Republic after its creation in 1949.
A staunch backer of the Palestine Liberation Organization, China finally succumbed to Jerusalem's courtship out of a desire to re-enter the world stage. Beijing wants to dispel the smoke of ostracism that still hangs over it...