Taiwan and Israel share many common interests and the two sides are likely to cooperate more closely in the tech, medical and defense realms, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an interview published on Friday.

“Israel really respects our leadership position in the semiconductor and AI [artificial intelligence] sectors, and, in fact, cooperation between is inevitable,” Wu said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times).

He pointed to the major increase in delegations from Israel visiting Taiwan as a sign of the growing potential for the two sides working together in the technology sector, which Wu said is already happening, in some cases indirectly.

Photo: Chang Chia-juei, Taipei Times

For example, the US-made Patriot missiles deployed by Israel to intercept Iran’s missiles contain a great number of chips and components made in Taiwan, which have saved lives, Wu said.

Taiwan accounts for 60 to 70 percent of global semiconductor production, 95 percent of the world’s high-end semiconductors and 100 percent of AI-related chips, so advanced defense companies and vendors of basic consumer goods inevitably have to work with Taiwan, Wu said.

In terms of closer technology ties with Israel, that interest could be extended to the medical sector because of the many chips needed to operate highly advanced medical devices, Wu said.

“I think Israel has recognized more quickly [than others] the security and health benefits that cooperating with Taiwan can bring,” he said.

Wu in the interview did not comment on a report by Reuters last month that he made a recent “unpublicized” visit to Israel “at a time when Taiwan is looking to the country for defense cooperation.”

There was speculation that Taiwan is interested in Israel’s “Iron Dome” system to help with a “T-Dome” system proposed by President William Lai (賴清德).

Wu said in the interview that cooperation with Taiwan required “courage,” as exchanges could risk negative reactions from China.

Another area in which Taiwan and Israel share an interest is Somaliland, Wu said.

At the end of last month, Israel formally recognized Somaliland as a sovereign nation, to the consternation of many other countries across the world, which see Somaliland as part of the territory of Somalia.

Taiwan has developed ties with Somaliland, opening a representative office in Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital, in 2020, and it welcomed Israel’s decision.

Taiwan would continue to deepen cooperation with Somaliland, Wu said.