Boaz Toporovsky, chairman of the Israel-Taiwan Friendship Group, met with Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim in Taipei on Tuesday.
Toporovsky was joined by a visiting delegation made up of members of the Israeli Knesset, including Merav Ben Ari, Ram Ben Barak, and Yoav Segalovitz.
The delegation was joined by Remus Li-kuo Chen, Taiwan’s vice minister of foreign affairs, and the Rep. of the Israeli Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, Maya Yaron.
Hsiao told the Israeli cohort that Taiwan will continue to invest more resources and combine the innovative capabilities of the private sector to jointly strengthen national security.
She also thanked Israel for its “long-term support for Taiwan’s participation in international affairs,” and wished for deepened cooperation between the two countries in the future, specifically within the spheres of education, science and technology, and trade and economy.
She also expressed a desire for Israel and Taiwan to jointly maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.Hsiao noted that while Taiwan and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, the “two sides have very close interpersonal and political relations.”
Many Taiwanese admire Israel’s spirit as a “start-up nation,” she added, saying that Israel’s investment in technology and innovation had made the country prosperous and more secure.
Linking Israel’s fight to defend itself to her own country’s, Hsiao said Taiwan was committed to self-defense and hoped to learn from Israel about how to innovate and strengthen its national security.
Certificate of friendship
Wu Chih-chung, the deputy foreign minister, also presented Toporovsky with the Order of Honor and Friendship, the highest honor bestowed in Taiwan on a foreign citizen.
In recent days, members of the delegation met with senior figures in Taiwan’s political system and private sector, including the head of the National Security Council, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee of the Taiwanese parliament, the CEO of the National Investment Fund, and others.
According to Israeli media, all of them expressed a willingness to examine investment opportunities in Israel.The secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, and former foreign minister, Joseph Wu, met Toporovsky and the delegation, calling them “true friends of Taiwan” in a post to his X/Twitter.
“I deeply value our friendship and will strive to strengthen our bilateral ties,” Wu added.
He also prayed for the “safe return of the hostages to their families soon.”
Delighted to welcome our friends from #Israel. The #Knesset delegation, led by @BToporovsky, are true friends of #Taiwan. I deeply value our friendship & will strive to strengthen our bilateral ties. I also pray for the safe return of the hostages to their families soon. pic.twitter.com/ed1RrC60Tw
— Joseph Wu (@josephwutw) April 22, 2025
In response, Toporovsky said it was an honor to meet Wu again, referring to him as a “true friend of both Israel and myself.”
“Together, with friendship and shared values, we’ll keep building a better future for our peoples,” he said.On Wednesday, Taiwan held a ceremony for International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025, organized by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, and the German Institute Taipei.
The President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, was in attendance. He later wrote on X, “Commemorating the victims of the Holocaust today, we are reminded of the threats that hatred, prejudice, and extremism pose to humanity.”“A strong commitment to peace and human rights connects Taiwan with the world as we work together to ensure a better future.”
The compere said the event was important, not just in terms of commemorating the Jews who died, but so that Taiwan could “learn more about the Holocaust and its significance in the advancement of human rights.”