Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Tah-ray Yui said Taiwan is committed to safeguarding freedom and respect for human rights while working with like-minded partners to pursue prosperity and development for all.
Yui made the remarks during an exclusive interview aired April 22 on Colombia-based El Tiempo’s YouTube channel with Ana Maria Rodriguez. The video detailed Taiwan’s strategy in face of China’s military threats.
Taiwan wants to deepen the relationship with Latin American countries and expand cooperation in areas spanning culture, economy, education and technology, Yui said. He cited the country’s assistance to Paraguay in the fields of aquaculture, medical care, orchid growing and personnel training as examples.
Yui urged Paraguay not to fooled by China’s spurious promises, adding that countries that established official ties with China only fell into a large-scale trade deficit with Beijing later on.
According to Yui, China’s live-fire drills and military exercises in airspace and waters around Taiwan demonstrate its ambition to seize the country. China orchestrated such maneuvers after both former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit last year and President Tsai Ing-wen’s stopovers in the U.S. this month.
Taiwan is a sovereign country, Yui said, adding that the territory of the People’s Republic of China did not include Taiwan when the PRC was established and thus it has no right to rule Taiwan.
The importance of cross-strait peace and stability was reaffirmed by international community leaders, Yui said. These include the communique issued by the Group of Seven foreign ministers April 20; and U.S. President Joe Biden’s calls to French President Emmanuel Macron and to President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen on the same day, he added.
Yui said Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has a leading global position and if a war breaks out, Latin American countries will be affected by lower semiconductor chip production. He added that he anticipates friends in the region will take advantage of supply chain restructuring to continue strengthening their partnerships with Taiwan. (YCH-E)
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