China blasts Israeli lawmakers' visit to Taiwan as 'despicable provocation'
China’s Embassy in Israel strongly condemned a visit by Israeli Knesset members to Taiwan on 6 May, saying that MK Boaz Toporovsky and several others violated the “one-China principle” and damaged the foundation of China–Israel relations after the lawmakers met with senior Taiwanese officials.
“There is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” the embassy said, adding that the government in Beijing is “the sole legal government representing the whole of China.”
The Chinese Embassy said Toporovsky, “together with several other MKs,” had “once again visited Taiwan and made erroneous remarks regarding the Taiwan question.”
“These have seriously violated the one-China principle and undermined the political foundation of China-Israel relations,” the embassy said.
The statement cited the China–Israel Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, which states that Israel recognizes Taiwan as “an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.”
Officials also accused the lawmakers of “colluding with ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces” and “provoking confrontation across the Taiwan Strait,” calling their actions “despicable.”
It urged the MKs to stop their “erroneous words and deeds” and warned them “not to believe that one can cross red lines on the Taiwan question without paying any price.”
The Israeli delegation, comprising Mickey Levy, Boaz Toporovsky, Ron Katz, and Yonatan Mishraki, reportedly met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and other officials for talks focused on technology, artificial intelligence, and “national resilience.”
Lai said on X that he was pleased to meet the delegation led by former Knesset speaker Mickey Levy and discuss cooperation “in artificial intelligence, social resilience and other fields.”
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung also met the lawmakers, saying the visit showed “meaningful support” for Taiwan during the security situation in West Asia, adding that both sides face similar challenges from “authoritarian regimes.”
In December, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Francois Wu had made a secret trip to Israel as Taipei sought closer defense cooperation with Tel Aviv, with Taiwanese officials
Taiwanese officials said that “Taiwan and Israel share the values of freedom and democracy” and would continue to pursue “mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation” in trade, technology, and culture, with Lai pointing to Israel as a “valuable model for Taiwan” in particular with respect to militarization.