Baidu and Alibaba, prominent Chinese technology companies, have recently removed the name “Israel” from their digital maps, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
This change is seen as a reflection of Beijing’s ambiguous diplomatic stance in the region.
While their online maps continue to display Israel’s geographical features, including borders and cities, the actual name of the country has been omitted, setting it apart from neighboring nations.
This move has been met with surprise and criticism on social media, with many users highlighting the alignment of this omission with China’s uncertain foreign policy approach, which differs from its usual attention to map details.