Recently, a senior official of the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities published an article in The Jerusalem Post, alleging that the Togo-flagged cargo ship Hongtai 58 had damaged Taiwan’s submarine cable, using this as a pretext to promote the so-called “RISK Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables.” This self-deceiving narrative was already manipulated once in February last year. After investigating, Chinese public security authorities exposed this clumsy fabrication.
In fact, the Hongtai 58 is owned by two residents of China’s Taiwan region, who have long operated such smuggling vessels to illegally transport goods to the Chinese mainland. In early January 2025, while the ship was anchored at sea to take shelter from the wind, it was discovered by Taiwan’s “Coast Guard Administration” and had to weigh anchor and depart. This administration subsequently claimed that the vessel had scraped and damaged a submarine cable while weighing anchor, and detained both the vessel and its crew.
In February 2025, the Taiwan side used this incident to falsely accuse the mainland of “deliberately sabotaging” Taiwan’s submarine cable, attempting to provoke confrontation across the Taiwan Strait and to mislead the international community. At present, Chinese public security authorities have publicly released the facts and have issued reward notices for the two Taiwan suspects involved.
The DPP authorities have repeated in Israel claims that have already been refuted in China, with the aim of constructing an “information cocoon” about the so-called “mainland threat” in Israel and building momentum for the project, RISK standing for risk mitigation, information sharing, systemic reform, and knowledge building.
In essence, this so-called “initiative” is also a tool to advance the “Taiwan independence” agenda and to expand “international space.” Its principal method is to use technological cooperation as a cover, to implant such values and cultural concepts of its independence into external publicity, and to seek international sympathy and support for the DPP authorities and “Taiwan independence” forces.
Such schemes that challenge China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and challenge international justice and broad consensus, will not succeed.
UN resolution asserts there is one China
In 1971, the 26th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority, recognizing the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China in the United Nations, and making clear that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is a part of China, with no such thing as “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan.”
After the resolution’s adoption, the UN has referred to Taiwan in official documents as “Taiwan, Province of China.”
A total of 183 countries, including Israel, have established and developed diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Israel explicitly states that “the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.”
No matter what the “Taiwan independence” forces say or do, they cannot alter the authority of UNGA Resolution 2758, nor can they change the overall framework of the international community’s adherence to the one-China principle.
The Chinese government has always upheld the greatest sincerity and made the utmost efforts to strive for peaceful reunification, consistently practiced the concept that “people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family,” promoted stronger cross-strait economic cooperation, and deepened integrated development across the waterway.
In 2025, nearly a quarter of Taiwan’s total imports of consumer goods came from the mainland, ranking first.
Mainland-based Taiwan-invested enterprises have continued to develop steadily and soundly; from January to October last year, some 6,432 new Taiwan-funded enterprises were established on the mainland. Airlines from both sides operate more than 610 passenger flights per week. These solid figures fully demonstrate the strong momentum of non-governmental exchanges across the strait and the profound kinship between compatriots on both sides.
The collusion of “Taiwan independence” forces with external forces to seek “independence” provocations is the root cause of tensions in cross-strait relations and of damage to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. “Taiwan independence” leads nowhere, while reunification is the way forward. The DPP authorities’ political manipulation under the pretext of “security” cannot deceive the discerning eyes of the public, nor can it stop the pace of China’s reunification.
This year marks the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel. Over the past three decades and more, on the basis of the one-China principle, China-Israel cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results.
The Chinese side highly appreciates Israel’s correct position of adhering to the one-China principle, and stands ready to work with Israel to continuously enhance political mutual trust, deepen the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Jewish peoples, and promote the sustained development of the China-Israel innovative comprehensive partnership.
The writer is spokesperson for the embassy of the People’s Republic of China the State of Israel.