Taiwan and Israel: Don’t Recognize, but Collaborate

Ed.'s note: As the following article is read concerning the relationship between Taiwan and Israel, both countries that have struggled for international recognition, be mindful of the fact that "Israel was the first Middle Eastern country to recognize the Communist Party of China as the official and only representative of the Chinese people." Also to keep in mind obviously, is that the following was written strictly from an Israeli biased position. For example, the author states Taiwan is under constant threat from China. That's not correct. There is a large subterranean trade gong on between Taiwan and China in technology especially microprocessors. Some of the technology stolen by China. Over the years, Israel's interest in Taiwan is almost entirely for technological self-interest in key technology R&D areas. For some background on Taiwan see: Taiwan Battles WHO and China Over Coronavirus - AMD and TSMC Going Strong

Israel's Newest Ally in Asia - Taiwan
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Source: BESA

By Roie Yellinek | March 12, 2020

Tsai Ing-wen, president of Taiwan, photo by CSIS via Flickr CC

BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,480, March 12, 2020

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: More than 8,300 km separate Taiwan and Israel, but there are nevertheless important connections between the two small countries. They do not officially recognize each other, but over the past two and a half decades, they have found ways to collaborate. In the late 1940s, both Taiwan and the modern-day State of Israel managed to face down massive powers that categorically rejected their rights to their land. The Israelis' opponents were an array of Arab armies and terror groups (and their international supporters) while the Taiwanese stood against the Communist Party of China. The two countries are both islands of sorts: Taiwan a literal island not far from mainland China, and Israel a metaphorical island surrounded by states that reject its very existence.

Because of their physical isolation, both countries needed a superpower to protect them, and the US was ready, willing, and able to play that role. Israel and Taiwan view the US as a great ally and benefit from its economic and military support, and both wish to be viewed by the US as important allies in turn. The two states have something else in common: a meager supply of natural resources but an abundance of human capital.

Both Israel and Taiwan struggle for international recognition, yet have not recognized one another. This is essentially because the Israelis want a positive relationship with Beijing and the Taiwanese want a positive relationship with the Arab world.

Israel was the first Middle Eastern country to recognize the Communist Party of China as the official and only representative of the Chinese people after the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China (Taiwan's other name) and the Communist Party of China. (That war went on intermittently from 1927 through 1949.) Similarly, the Taiwanese, like the Chinese, were long afraid to recognize Israel or have any kind of open relationship with it for fear that doing so would endanger their relationship with the Arab world.

The countries started inching toward one another in the 1980s and picked up the pace in the 1990s. In 1993 (a year after Israel and China established diplomatic relations), the Ministry of Economy and Trade of Taipei opened in Tel Aviv and Israel opened an equivalent ministry in Taipei. This was the start of the relationship, but it took a decade for the connection to flourish. Israel and Taiwan have now signed more than 30 trade agreements, including a technology cooperation agreement (2006), an e-government cooperation protocol (2008), and a water cooperation agreement (2011).

This new level of cooperation was made possible by big changes in the international and regional geopolitical environment. The Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), the first Iraq War (1991), and the Madrid Conference (1991) sent a message to the world that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not the only, or even the main, conflict in the Middle East. This eased Taiwanese fears about losing their relationships with the Arab world. That geopolitical shift allowed Taiwan and Israel to collaborate in significant ways [technology especially on microprocessor manufacturing] and strengthen their relationship.

Taiwan has limited access to the arms market because of its limited diplomatic relationships—but believes itself to be under constant threat from the Chinese. In August 2019 it was reported that Taiwan had unveiled a newly developed UAV that is strikingly similar to an Israeli UAV, the Harpy. [because Taiwan and Israel share R&D on technology] This was not the first time the Taiwanese exhibited something that was almost an exact copy of an Israeli product. This could be a sign of undisclosed cooperation, a secret no one is trying very hard to keep.

Please go to BESA to read the entire article.