Deputy Foreign Minister François Chih-chung Wu said Taiwan is committed to enhancing its national defense capabilities to maintain the Taiwan Strait status quo and ensure its democratic way of life.
The deputy minister made the remarks during an interview with journalist Kim Yoojin of South Korea’s Kyunghyang Shinmun last month in Taipei City, resulting in two articles published Dec. 21, 2025, and Jan. 16, respectively, on the daily news media’s website.
According to Wu, China’s continuous modernization of its military is a key factor contributing to geopolitical instability in the region. Self-defense enhancement in Taiwan is not intended to provoke China or change the status quo, but only to ensure security, Wu said.
Despite Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is its “core interest,” Wu said from the perspectives of global economy and strategy, Taiwan is a key interest for democracies such as the U.S., Europe and Japan.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. holds a strategic position in the global economy and the semiconductor supply chain, thus the stability and security of Taiwan is extremely important to the democratic world, the deputy minister stated.
Wu said the current U.S. administration’s National Security Strategy report reiterates that it does not support any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, which is the same as previous statements voicing objection to any changes in the cross-strait status quo.
As a major actor in the region, Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with like-minded partners to ensure peace, stability and shared Indo-Pacific interests, the deputy minister added.
In addition, Wu noted that South Korea’s E-Arrival system incorrectly labels Taiwan as part of China. He urged Seoul to follow the approach adopted by the U.S., Europe and Japan, and change the designation to “Taiwan.” (SFC-E)
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