Beijing’s embassy in Israel has protested following reports of a secret trip by Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister to the Middle Eastern country.
Citing several anonymous sources, Reuters reported on Thursday that Francois Wu Chih-chung had travelled to Israel in recent weeks, though it was not disclosed who he met there. Taipei has not officially confirmed that the visit took place.
On Saturday, the Chinese embassy in Israel commented on the visit, stating that Beijing firmly opposed official exchanges between any country it has diplomatic relations with and Taiwan.
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“The Chinese embassy in Israel lodged a solemn representation with Israel immediately,” the embassy said in a post on social media.
It said that the one-China principle was a “universal consensus” and the basis for establishing diplomatic relations with all countries, including Israel.
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It added that the Taiwan question was one of Beijing’s core interests and a “red line that must not be crossed”.
“We once again urge the Israeli side to earnestly abide by the one-China principle, correct its erroneous actions, cease sending any wrong signals to separatist forces advocating ‘Taiwan independence’, and take concrete actions to safeguard the overall development of China-Israel relations,” the embassy said.