The Shin Bet security agency announced Tuesday afternoon that the suspicious object found inside a gift to the office of Science, Technology and Space Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen by the Chinese Embassy was not a listening device.
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The object was found inside a thermal mug – part of a greater gift basket for the Jewish holiday of Passover – which, according to Channel 13, was found during a routine inspection carried out by security personnel who confirmed that they were checking for listening devices.
The Shin Bet said in a statement the object is intended to "maintain the vacuum in the sides of the drinking glass and to maintain the temperature over time."
Army Radio, which revealed the incident on Tuesday, reported that Israeli government ministries were instructed to increase oversight over gifts from other embassies, particularly the Chinese Embassy, due to fears of listening devices or cameras.
China and Israel generally maintain good ties. The two countries celebrated 30 years of diplomatic relations in January with the fifth meeting of the China-Israel Joint Committee on Innovation Cooperation.
Army Radio, which revealed the incident on Tuesday, reported that Israeli government ministries were instructed to increase oversight over gifts from other embassies, particularly the Chinese embassy, due to fears of listening devices or cameras.
China and Israel generally maintain good ties. The two countries celebrated 30 years of diplomatic relations in January with the fifth meeting of the China-Israel Joint Committee on Innovation Cooperation.
China surpassed the United States as Israel's largest source of imports in 2021, according to data released Thursday by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
The Chinese Embassy said in a statement, "On the occasion of Passover, following diplomatic customary practices, the Chinese Embassy in Israel sent holiday gifts to the Israeli side to express our friendship. However, on April 12, the Embassy noticed that certain Israeli media spread rumors that a thermal mug in the gifts 'may' contain 'a suspicious device'. The fact is, the so-called 'suspicious device' is a getter, which could be easily found in the same kind of thermal mugs.
The baseless rumors have a severe impact as they aim to drive a wedge between China and Israel, tarnish China's image and seriously mislead the public. Media reports say they cited 'sources' from relevant Israeli government authority, but the mentioned government authority made clear to the Embassy that it hasn't made any statement to the press regarding this matter. We ask the relevant media outlets to immediately withdraw the false reports, stop helping spread rumors, and take real actions to eliminate the negative impacts that are already caused. If the media agencies insist on spreading such rumors, we will reserve the right to seek accountability," the statement said.
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