This post has been updated to include China’s foreign ministry’s comments on the matter.
Chinese companies Baidu and Alibaba removed the name of the state of Israel from their digital maps Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
Although Baidu’s map demarcates the internationally recognized borders of Israel, including key cities and the Palestinian territories, Israel is not listed by name, the outlet reported. Alibaba’s map identifies less recognizable countries like Luxembourg while excluding a label for Israel.
While social media users recently noticed the absence of Israel on Chinese maps, it is unknown whether this is a new development, according to the outlet. However, China has been diplomatically ambiguous in the region amid Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks against Israel.
🇨🇳🇮🇱 China has removed Israel from its online maps, Baidu and Alibaba!
So here is our new map for Ex-China. pic.twitter.com/nLXMCsGueV— Terror Alarm (@Terror_Alarm) October 31, 2023
Neither company responded to questions from The WSJ regarding the move.
China’s foreign ministry responded to a question from a Reuters reporter during a press conference Tuesday inquiring whether they played a part in removing the label of Israel from the companies’ maps.
“I believe you are aware that China and Israel have a normal diplomatic relationship,” ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. “The relevant country is clearly marked on the standard maps issued by the Chinese competent authorities, which you may refer to,” Wenbin said.
China has expressed anger over map depictions in the past.
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials were furious with NBC Universal when an “incomplete” map of China was displayed during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan. The map did not include Taiwan or the South China Sea as recognized parts of Chinese territory. (RELATED: Vietnam Bans ‘Barbie’ Movie Over Territorial Dispute With China)
China claims the region from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are its own despite a 2016 ruling from The Hague dismissing this assertion. For years, Beijing has had military patrols around military bases on artificial islands in the South China Sea to boost its territorial claims, according to the BBC.