François Chihchung Wu
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
September 16, 2025
(As Prepared for Delivery)
The Honorable Boaz Toporovsky, Chair of the Taiwan-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group and member of the Knesset;
The Honorable Michal Shir Segman, Debbie Biton, Shalom Danino, Eli Dallal, and Yael Ron Ben-Moshe, members of the Knesset;
Mr. Adi Shoham, Parliamentary Advisor;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good afternoon!
On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan, I extend a heartfelt welcome to this cross-party delegation from the Israeli Knesset. This is the third time that Mr. Toporovsky has led a delegation to Taiwan, the presence of your group further strengthens Taiwan-Israel cooperation and attests to the depth of our nations’ friendship. I recall that in recognition of his outstanding contribution to bilateral relations, we presented him with the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy on his last visit to Taiwan. I’m delighted to see that he has displayed the certificate on the wall of his office.
It has been encouraging to see exchanges between Taiwan and the Knesset continue to grow in recent years. We are profoundly grateful to Mr. Toporovsky for his role in facilitating these interactions and for his long-standing and unwavering support for the people and government of Taiwan. In July, along with cross-party members of Knesset, Mr. Toporovsky for the first time issued a joint statement in Knesset backing Taiwan’s international participation. I sincerely thank all of our Israeli friends and members of Knesset present for speaking up for Taiwan.
I would also like to reiterate Taiwan’s staunch support for Israel. Our nations both stand on the front line in defending democracy and freedom as we confront the challenges posed by authoritarian regimes. Taiwan firmly believes that democratic partners must stand united in the face of these dangers. That is why, following the Hamas terror attack and Iran’s indiscriminate assaults on Israeli civilians, we responded by promptly extending assistance to affected communities.
Taiwan and Israel have also forged a strong and enduring partnership in technology, innovation, and economic development. Burgeoning cooperation in such areas as cybersecurity and AI is built on mutual trust and complementary strengths. Taiwan continues to work closely with key democratic partners—including Israel—to deepen cooperation in trade, technology, and whole-of-society resilience. I look forward to hearing your insights and to jointly exploring our shared vision for expanding Taiwan-Israel cooperation.
Once again, I extend my deepest appreciation for your friendship and support for Taiwan, your visit serves as another important milestone in drawing our two countries even closer. I wish you all a productive and enriching stay. Thank you!