Taiwan wants to deepen its ties with Israel despite criticism over its war in Gaza because Israel has shown support for Taiwan unmatched by other countries in the Middle East, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.
Taiwan will be “friendly to countries that are friendly to us," Lin said.
He said that a declaration signed earlier this year by 72 members of the Israeli parliament in support of Taiwan’s inclusion in key international organizations is an example of Israel’s support.
Photo: Johnson Lai, AP
Lin added that “Palestine is very bad to Taiwan” because it aligns with Beijing’s “one-China" principle, which states that there is only one China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.
Human rights and national interests must be aligned, Lin told journalists during a meeting organized by the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club.
Taiwan’s government came under criticism earlier this year for planning a donation to a medical center in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The International Court of Justice ruled last year that Israeli presence in occupied Palestinian territories including the West Bank is illegal.
Asked to confirm whether Taipei has abandoned its plan for the West Bank donation, Lin did not give a conclusive answer. Instead, he said Taiwan prioritizes humanitarian support in the Israel-Hamas war, and that Taiwanese diplomats are instructed not to become involved in the conflict.
“In fact, we provide a lot of humanitarian aid to both sides, including the Gaza Strip and Palestine,” Lin said.
He added that other countries can learn from Taiwan about how to deal with China including on gray-zone tactics, telecommunications and data transfers.
Meanwhile, Lin expressed confidence that future talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would not "sacrifice" the democratic island’s interests.
Late last month, Trump and Xi held talks in South Korea, which the US leader later said did not touch on Taiwan.
Ahead of that meeting, aimed at calming a trade war between the two major powers, there were concerns in Taipei that Taiwan could be used as a bargaining chip to strike a deal.
Asked about reported plans for talks between the two leaders in Beijing next year, Lin said that "some people are worried that the Trump-Xi meeting might sacrifice Taiwan’s interests."
"Of course, we need to pay close attention. I mean we should be concerned, but not overly worried, because harming Taiwan could also harm US interests," he said.
Lin said Taiwan’s communications with the US have been "very smooth", but he added that "some decisions are ultimately made by President Trump."
Trump has previously accused Taiwan of stealing the US chip industry and his administration had made clear it wants more of the critical technology made on American soil.
The concentration of chip production in Taiwan has long been seen as a protection against an attack by China and an incentive for the United States to defend it.
"Some say Trump is a good deal maker, but while he certainly wants to make a good deal, I believe that sacrificing Taiwan’s interests will not bring long-term benefits to the US," Lin said.
"This is something we can be relatively confident about," he said.
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