Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu recently carried out an unpublicized visit to Israel, according to sources cited by Reuters. The trip, which reportedly took place in recent weeks, comes as Taipei seeks to deepen cooperation with Israel, particularly in the field of defense.
Taiwan, which maintains limited official diplomatic ties due to pressure from Beijing, rarely sends senior officials to countries that formally recognize China. Despite this, Taiwan continues to view Israel as a key democratic partner, especially following Taipei’s vocal support for Israel after the October 2023 Hamas attack and the subsequent war in Gaza.
The anonymous sources told Reuters that details of Wu’s meetings were not disclosed, including whether discussions touched on Taiwan’s T-Dome air defense initiative, unveiled in October and partially modeled on Israel’s systems.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry did not confirm the visit but emphasized that the two sides share democratic values and will continue developing cooperation in trade, technology, and culture. Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not comment.
Wu, previously Taiwan’s de facto ambassador in Paris, is known for promoting Taiwan’s interests abroad. His last publicly known trip was to the Berlin Security Conference in November.
Taipei has drawn parallels between its security concerns regarding China and Israel’s regional challenges. Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said last month that there is “mutual learning” between the two nations on defense matters.
In recent months, exchanges between Taiwan and Israel have increased. Senior Israeli officials and lawmakers have visited Taipei, and President Lai Ching-te has praised Israel’s defense capabilities as a model for Taiwan.
Both governments have also downplayed discomfort that emerged last year after exploding pagers used in an Israeli strike in Lebanon were associated with a Taiwanese brand, stressing that bilateral ties remain stable.