Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu gave an exclusive interview to Jim Sciutto of CNN April 11 via videoconference for a segment aired on the U.S. media outlet’s TV program CNN Newsroom and an article on its website.
Wu condemned China’s recent military exercises and warned that Beijing seems to be preparing to launch a war against Taiwan. The minister pointed out that such actions run counter to the U.N. Charter, which calls for peaceful resolution of disputes.
According to Wu, it is an established practice for Taiwan’s presidents to meet with members of Congress when they transit through the U.S. en route to state visits with allies, adding that it is no excuse for China to conduct military exercises near Taiwan. Wu added that China cannot dictate how Taiwan makes friends, or how those friends decide to show support to Taiwan.
The minister said that the people in Taiwan will never succumb to China’s authoritarian oppression, adding that they are fully committed to the defense of freedom, democracy and national sovereignty. Wu also thanked the U.S. for supplying Taiwan with weapons with specific mention of the nine arms sales announced by President Joe Biden since he took office in 2021.
Wu added that attacks on Taiwan would have an impact on the world’s economy and called on the global community to tell China to stop its military coercion against Taiwan. (SFC-E)
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