Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister's Secret Visit to Israel Highlights Defense Cooperation
Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu recently made an unpublicized visit to Israel, as reported by sources familiar with the trip. This visit comes at a time when Taiwan is seeking to enhance defense cooperation with Israel. Taiwan, under pressure from Beijing, maintains limited formal diplomatic ties, and such visits to countries like Israel are rare. Despite this, Taiwan views Israel as a significant democratic partner, especially after offering support following the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The visit is part of increased engagement between the two nations, focusing on mutual interests in technology and defense. Taiwan's new multi-layered air defense system, T-Dome, is partly modeled on Israel's Iron Dome, reflecting the shared defense challenges both countries face. Taiwan's foreign ministry has not commented on the visit, and details of Wu's meetings in Israel remain undisclosed.