Taiwan's deputy foreign minister made secret trip to Israel, sources say

Taiwan’s high-profile Deputy Foreign Minister, Francois Wu, recently made a previously unpublicised visit to Israel, three sources familiar with the trip told Reuters, as Taiwan seeks closer defence cooperation with the country.

Due to pressure from Beijing, which considers Taiwan a province rather than a sovereign state, the island maintains few formal diplomatic ties. Like most countries, Israel officially recognises Beijing rather than Taipei. While senior Taiwanese diplomats do travel abroad, visits to countries such as Israel are uncommon.

Nevertheless, Taiwan regards Israel as an important democratic partner. Taipei offered strong support to Israel following the October 2023 Hamas attacks in southern Israel and the subsequent Gaza conflict. Since then, engagement between the two sides has increased.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Wu had visited Israel in recent weeks, with two confirming the trip took place this month. They declined to provide details of Wu’s meetings or discussions, including whether Taiwan’s new multi-layered air defence system, the T-Dome, was addressed. President Lai Ching-te unveiled the T-Dome in October, drawing partial inspiration from Israel’s air defence system.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry declined to confirm Wu’s visit but said in a statement, “Taiwan and Israel share the values of freedom and democracy and will continue to pragmatically promote mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, and culture, welcoming more mutually beneficial forms of cooperation.”

Israel’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Prominent International Promoter

Wu, who previously served as Taiwan’s de facto ambassador in Paris, is one of Taipei’s most prominent international promoters. His last public foreign engagement was at the Berlin Security Conference on November 19.

Taiwan has noted parallels between the military threat posed by its giant neighbor China and Israel’s regional security challenges. Earlier this year, Israel and Iran exchanged missile and air strikes, with Israel’s missile defence systems intercepting many attacks. By contrast, China maintains close relations with the Palestinians and recognised a Palestinian state in 1988. Taiwan has stated it does not plan to follow suit.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei last month, Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said, “Of course, in terms of technology and defence, there is mutual learning and some interactions between Taiwan and Israel.” He noted the similarities between Taiwan’s T-Dome and Israel’s Iron Dome, while acknowledging differences in their design.

Israel’s multi-layered defence system includes the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow, and U.S.-made THAAD. Taiwan’s T-Dome aims to establish a more efficient and integrated “sensor-to-shooter” mechanism for a higher intercept rate, combining existing systems such as the U.S.-built Patriot and Taiwan-made Sky Bow missiles and anti-aircraft guns.

Expanding Taiwan-Israel Exchanges

Taiwan maintains a limited diplomatic footprint in the Middle East, though de facto embassies exist in Tel Aviv and Taipei. The island has hosted Israeli officials and lawmakers to strengthen bilateral ties.

In October, Wu met in Taipei with Yinon Aaroni, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, while in September, President Lai Ching-te received six Israeli lawmakers at his office. That same month, Lai addressed a dinner hosted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Taiwan, highlighting Israel’s determination and capacity to defend its territory as a “valuable model” for Taiwan, referencing the Biblical story of David and Goliath.

Despite past incidents, including Taiwan’s involvement in Israel’s attack on Hezbollah officials in Lebanon last year due to exploding pagers carrying a Taiwanese brand, both countries have downplayed the impact on bilateral relations. -Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee and Maayan Lubell/Reuters