The war in Gaza has intensified anti-Semitism and Islamophobia across the West, where both elites and the public are sharply divided in their support for either Palestine or Israel. Far less is known, however, about the conflict's impact on prejudice elsewhere. We bring this question to China, where both government and public overwhelmingly side with the Palestinians. Building on existing studies of historical prejudice against Muslims in China, primarily the Hui and Uyghur minorities, our study will examine whether the conflict in Gaza, where narratives with both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are inescapable, significantly placates or exacerbates these prejudices in China’s domestic politics.

On one hand, the salience of Islamic militancy may increase Islamophobia among Chinese citizens if it heightens perceptions of local Muslim minorities as national security concerns. Alternatively, Islamophobia might be tempered when the Chinese government’s support for Palestine frames the Muslim community as a geopolitical ally. We will test both possibilities through a preregistered online survey experiment with 3,000 Chinese citizens. In the experiment, respondents will be randomly exposed to either information on the Gaza conflict alone or information on both the conflict and the Chinese government’s support for Palestinian authorities. We will then measure respondents' prejudice toward domestic Muslim groups, such as the Hui and Uyghurs. The findings of this study will offer crucial insights into how international conflicts shape domestic social relations in the Chinese and adjacent contexts.