VIDEO - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres ' videotaped Chinese New Year greetings have received unprecedented exposure in China: In recent days they have been watched by some 40 million Chinese people on one website – and this number does not include millions of views on different television channels.
Watch Netanyahu speak Chinese
It all began when the Israeli Embassy in China began looking for an effective way to reach the Chinese people. One of the ideas was to record well-wishes in honor of the Year of the Dragon rather than send a written greeting.
After the Chinese government approved the initiative, the embassy turned to its former spokesman Guy Kivetz, who taught Netanyahu and Peres a few New Year wishes in Chinese.
The two recorded their greetings and became big stars in China.
According to Israeli Ambassador to China Amos Nadai, "When an allegedly simple gesture raises an inconceivable amount of interest, it's definitely moving and proves just how far the relations between the two countries can go."