Chinese Ambassador to Israel, Du Wei, was found dead in his home in Herzliya on Sunday morning. He was 58 years old.
The cause of death has not yet been revealed however sources told Ynet that he suffered “cardiac arrest.” Wei’s death comes just three days after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Israel. The visit came as relations between Washington and China dropped to new lows and Pompeo strongly hinted at his contempt for China telling Prime Minister Netanyahu: “You’re a great partner. You share your information, unlike some other countries that try and obfuscate and hide information. And we’ll talk about that country, too.”
Additionally, the Trump administration expressed concerns about Israel allowing a Chinese firm to construct a $1.5 Billion desalinization plant. “As the Secretary has repeatedly stated, the United States strives for trade and investment on fair and reciprocal terms, with reliable partners, for long-term mutual benefit,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus told Axios. “China’s business dealings, by contrast, are often opaque, transactional and geared to benefit the Chinese Communist Party. We speak often to our friends in Israel about these risks and stand ready to help.”