World

Chinese delegation walks out of Holocaust memorial event as Taiwan envoy speaks

A Chinese delegation walked out of a Holocaust memorial event in the Israeli city of Haifa in protest after Taiwan’s envoy to Israel delivered a speech, Taiwan News reported citing CNA.

The annual event is attended by Holocaust survivors, local dignitaries, and foreign diplomats posted in Israel including Taiwan envoy to Israel Abby Lee among its speakers on May 6.

According to Taiwan News, the Chinese delegation reportedly only found out about her presence after they arrived at the event. They immediately protested with the organizers, asking for Lee to leave.

However, the demand of the Chinese delegates was turned down, leading them to walk out in the middle of proceedings. Organizer Shimon Sebag told Israeli media that everybody was welcome at the commemoration.

All groups, all religions, and politicians from all parties were welcome, Sebag said. The Chinese group told him they would leave, and within a minute, they stood up and walked out, he said, as per Taiwan News.

Earlier in the day, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence issued a statement on Saturday revealing that a significant presence of Chinese military aircraft and vessels has been detected in the vicinity of Taiwan.

According to the ministry, as of 6 am (UTC+8) that day, a total of 15 China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and 6 China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were observed operating around Taiwan.

Of particular concern is the revelation that 9 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, breaching Taiwan’s Southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (SW ADIZ) and entering its airspace. This development underscores escalating tensions between Taiwan and China, as such airspace violations are viewed as provocative actions.

In response to the detected presence, Taiwan’s Armed Forces, represented by the Republic of China Armed Forces (ROCArmedForces), have closely monitored the situation and initiated appropriate responses. The nature of these responses was not detailed in the statement.

The increased activity in the Taiwan Strait region comes amidst growing geopolitical tensions between Taiwan and China. Taiwan has long been a point of contention for Beijing, which considers the island a renegade province and has repeatedly expressed intentions to reunify it with the mainland, even if by force.

Meanwhile, The Taiwan Ministry of National Defence has issued daily reports on Chinese military activities for the past few years, including identifying those Chinese aircraft, drones, and balloons that are found to have crossed the Taiwan Strait median line to the Taiwan side.

ANI

Ani service

Recent Posts

India now has 111 national waterways, up from 5 under UPA: Union Minister Sonowal

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, said on Monday that the number…

10 minutes ago

PoJK residents grapple with decades of neglected roads, broken promises

The inhabitants of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) have been enduring years of neglect as…

17 minutes ago

DRDO to showcase cutting-edge defence tech at Paris Air show 2025, highlighting India’s aerospace advancements

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is set to make a significant impact at…

24 minutes ago

Cyprus President, PM Modi view mountains near Nicosia which are under Turkish occupation

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday viewed the mountains near…

2 hours ago

“Discussed expanding bilateral relations and synergy in various areas”: Cyprus President after delegation-level talks with PM Modi

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed expanding bilateral ties…

4 hours ago

India, Cyprus to develop roadmap to provide strategic direction to bilateral cooperation, strengthen defence cooperation: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that India and Cyprus will develop a strong…

4 hours ago