The Chinese embassy in Israel says in a statement that it “firmly objects” to any official contact between Israel and Taiwan, following a report today that Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, Francois Wu, made a secret visit to Israel recently.
“The Chinese side firmly objects to any form of official exchanges with the Taiwan authorities, which seriously violate the one-China principle,” says a spokesperson for the embassy, referencing Beijing’s principle that there is only one China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.
“We once again urge the Israeli side to faithfully abide by the one-China principle, correct the erroneous actions and stop sending any wrong signals to separatist forces advocating Taiwan independence, so as to uphold the overall interests of China-Israel relations through concrete actions,” the statement adds.
meeting at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, in Beijing, China, on March 21, 2017. (Etienne Oliveau/Pool Photo via AP)
The Chinese embassy in Israel says in a statement that it “firmly objects” to any official contact between Israel and Taiwan, following a report today that Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, Francois Wu, made a secret visit to Israel recently.
“The Chinese side firmly objects to any form of official exchanges with the Taiwan authorities, which seriously violate the one-China principle,” says a spokesperson for the embassy, referencing Beijing’s principle that there is only one China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.
“We once again urge the Israeli side to faithfully abide by the one-China principle, correct the erroneous actions and stop sending any wrong signals to separatist forces advocating Taiwan independence, so as to uphold the overall interests of China-Israel relations through concrete actions,” the statement.
Three sources told Reuters that Wu made an unpublicized visit to Israel recently, with Taiwan seeking defense cooperation with Jerusalem. Like most of the international community, Israel only officially recognizes Beijing and not Taipei, and trips to countries such as Israel by senior Taiwanese diplomats are rare.
The Chinese embassy declined to say whether it knew of the alleged visit, and the Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
About the Author
