Chinese embassy pans reports of spying devices, says they ‘aim to drive a wedge between China and Israel’

The Chinese embassy releases a statement denying reports a gift it it gave to an Israeli minister was found to contain a component suspected to be a possible spying device.

The statement reads as follows:

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.