Taiwan’s rulers see island as Asia-Pacific twin of Israel, colonial outpost of US: Analyst

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Taiwan views the island as the Asia-Pacific twin of Israel and a virtual colonial outpost of the United States, according to an analyst.

In an interview with the Press TV website, Nury Vittachi, a Hong Kong-based journalist, author, and political commentator, said people of all political colors are realizing that aligning with “the most criticized people on earth is a bad idea.”

“Many have told Lai to ‘read the room,’” he stated, referring to last week’s visit by a delegation from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a US-based Israeli lobby group, to Taiwan.

President Lai Ching-te attended an AIPAC dinner event and described the Israeli lobby group as a “highly prestigious and influential organization in the United States.”

“As we deepen strategic partnerships, invest in advanced technology, and enhance our defense capabilities, we look forward to closer Taiwan-US-Israel cooperation on security, trade, and beyond, promoting peace across the Taiwan Strait,” Lai said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Israel, he said, serves as a “model” for Taiwan in strengthening its defenses, citing the biblical story of David versus Goliath to emphasize the need to stand up to “authoritarianism.

“The Taiwanese people often look to the example of the Jewish people when facing challenges to our international standing and threats to our sovereignty from China. The people of Taiwan have never become discouraged,” he said, sparking intense debate.

Taiwan’s ruling party, Vittachi told the Press TV website, “is deeply unpopular and scraped into power with the backing of fewer than 30 percent of registered voters.”

“Since then, they have lowered their popularity even further, and Lai’s allegiance to Israel will alienate him more,” he noted, referring to the growing proximity between Israel and Taiwan.

Commenting on Lai’s remarks that Taiwan has drawn inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome and Trump’s proposed ‘Golden Dome,’ he said Israel is working more deeply with the US to arm Taiwan, but their plans—such as the creation of a dome against airstrikes—are “superficial and disjointed.”

“For example, Taiwan followed US instructions to avoid building China-style nuclear reactors. As a result, the island imports more than 97 percent of its energy and can be brought to a halt with a simple blockade,” the analyst told the Press TV website.

On reactions inside China to the AIPAC delegation’s visit to Taiwan, Vittachi said the Chinese government expressed dismay.

“But I’m sure they were not surprised by it. The US is working hard to destroy the status quo that has kept peace in the region. Washington previously agreed that sending high-profile political figures to Taiwan would harm the status quo—but in recent years, they’ve done that repeatedly,” he noted.

Chinese President Xi Jinping briefly met with Donald Trump in South Korea on Thursday, with reports suggesting they reached an understanding on tariffs and rare earths.

Vittachi said the deal between Trump and Xi is “a clear win for China.”

“The US side had repeatedly threatened huge tariffs on Chinese goods, from 200 percent to 500 percent, but has now settled for an average rate of just 45 percent,” he noted.

“This, of course, will be paid by American importers, while China continues its successful program of finding new customers.”

China holds sovereignty over Chinese Taipei, commonly known as Taiwan. Nearly all countries acknowledge this under the internationally recognized ‘One China policy’, which precludes formal diplomatic relations with the secessionist authorities in Taipei.

Nevertheless, Washington, despite officially recognizing that sovereignty, has long attempted to cultivate close ties with Taipei as a means of pressuring Beijing.

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