ALBAWABA - Two prominent Chinese tech companies, Alibaba and Baidu, have removed Israel's official name from their digital maps available online.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Baidu's Chinese language online maps no longer explicitly identify Israel by name, although they do demarcate the internationally recognized borders of Israel, as well as the Palestinian territories and key cities. Surprisingly, smaller nations like Luxembourg are still identified by name.
However, both Baidu and Alibaba have not provided an explanation for this change in their mapping.
Alibaba. (Shutterstock)
Various comments, including those from influential Chinese nationalist commentators, have garnered significant engagement on platforms like Weibo. These comments have criticized the West's stance in the Israel-Palestine conflict, warning against pushing others into a corner.
Chinese media has also reprimanded the United States for its position on the Gaza conflict, and Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed support for Palestine, emphasizing the need to address historical injustices suffered by the Palestinian people.
