Eyeing defense cooperation, Taiwan’s deputy FM made secret trip to Israel |
Reuters — Taiwan’s high-profile Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu made a previously unpublicized visit to Israel recently, three sources familiar with the trip told Reuters, at a time when Taiwan is looking to Jerusalem for defense cooperation.
Taiwan has few formal diplomatic ties due to pressure from Beijing, which views the island as one of its provinces and not a country. Like most other countries, Israel only officially recognizes Beijing and not Taipei, and while senior Taiwanese diplomats do travel abroad, trips to countries such as Israel are rare.
Still, Taiwan views Israel as an important democratic partner and offered strong support to the country after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel and subsequent war in Gaza, and since then, there has been an increased level of engagement.
The Chinese embassy in Israel, responding to the reports, said in a statement that it “firmly objects” to any official contact between Israel and Taiwan.
The sources, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, said that Wu had gone to Israel in recent weeks. Two of the sources said the trip happened this month.
The sources declined to give details of whom Wu met or what was discussed, including whether he touched upon Taiwan’s new multi-layered air defense system called T-Dome, which President Lai Ching-te unveiled in October and is partly modeled on Israel’s air defense system.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry declined to comment on whether Wu had visited Israel.
“Taiwan and Israel share the values of freedom and democracy, and will continue to pragmatically promote mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation”........