The Mainland Affairs Council, a cabinet-level administrative agency under the Executive Yuan, said Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, and the people of Taiwan strongly oppose the “one country, two systems” approach proclaimed by Beijing, in a statement released Aug. 10.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign country that has never been under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, the MAC said. China’s claim of jurisdiction over Taiwan through wrong interpretation of a U.N. General Assembly resolution has been solemnly condemned and objected to by many democratic countries, it added.
The MAC’s statement came in response to the Taiwan white paper issued by Beijing earlier the same day falsely claiming that Taiwan is part of China and proclaiming its determination to unify with Taiwan, including by the use of force as a last resort.
By painting a misleading picture of the prospect of its “national unification” and shifting responsibility for its aggressive action against Taiwan, the white paper reiterated Beijing’s wishful thinking that runs completely counter to international law and the cross-strait status quo, the MAC said.
The council said such clumsy political maneuvering reflects China’s ossified thinking and underscores its ambition to disrupt peace across the Taiwan Strait and in the region through the use of force. Such futile attempts only evoke greater public resentment, it added.
According to the MAC, democratic Taiwan is a responsible stakeholder in the region, while China is the leading cause of regional risk and crisis. Beijing needs to stop threatening Taiwan with military coercion and spreading false statements, it added.
Beijing needs to recognize that Taiwan is fully committed to defending its free and democratic constitutional system while resisting annexation or encroachment upon its sovereignty, the MAC said, adding that the future of Taiwan must be decided in accordance with the will of its 23 million people.
The government is determined to safeguard freedom and democracy, the MAC said, urging the country’s democratic partners around the world to stand with Taiwan in resisting the irresponsible and reckless provocation by China’s authoritarian regime. (SFC-E)
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