Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said Taiwan leaves no stone unturned to enhance its self-defense capabilities and deter China’s authoritarian aggression, thereby promoting an open, peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific.
Wu made the remarks in an interview with Mark Urban of the UK BBC’s Newsnight for a video aired Oct. 26 on the BBC Two channel and website.
The recent remarks made by China’s leader Xi Jinping are alarming to Taiwan and reflect Beijing’s disregard for the global community’s perception of itself, Wu said.
Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait status quo and will never accept the so-called “one country, two systems” approach, the minister said, adding that this is a commitment to the country’s people as well as to the international society.
According to the minister, China continues to increase its military threats with live-fire exercises in Taiwan’s airspace and surrounding waters and attempts to block Taiwan’s engagement with the world. These actions clearly show that China is the one trying to change the cross-strait status quo, not Taiwan, he added.
Cross-strait stability is key to regional peace and serves the best interests of all parties involved, Wu said. The six arms sales to Taiwan approved by the Biden administration demonstrate the importance the U.S. attaches to the security of the region and underscore its rock-solid support under the Taiwan Relations Act, he added.
As China’s ambition extends far beyond the Taiwan Strait, East and South China Seas to the Indo-Pacific, Wu called on the democratic world to back Taiwan’s international participation and stand in unity to defend shared values and ensure the resilience of the global supply chain. (SFC-E)
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