Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu said Taiwan will continue to work with its democratic partners around the world to deter expanding authoritarianism.
The minister made the remarks during an interview April 30 in Taipei City for two articles published later the same day on the websites of The Nikkei and Nikkei Asia, as well as the paper edition of The Nikkei the following day.
According to the minister, China using force against Taiwan is neither imminent nor inevitable, and there have been no observations that China is ramping up such preparations. The priority now is for members of the free world to step up cooperation to deter Beijing’s aggression, he said.
Wu said around 50 percent of global trade passes through the Taiwan Strait, while 60 percent of worldwide semiconductors and 90 percent of cutting-edge chips are made in Taiwan. Any attempt to blockade Taiwan would draw a strong international reaction for its severe effect on international navigation and the global economy, he added.
Wu thanked Taiwan’s like-minded partners for reiterating the importance of cross-strait peace and stability to global security and prosperity. He also commended Japan for its role in maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific under the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, as well as its potential participation in the Pillar II military projects with the U.S., U.K. and Australia under their AUKUS security pact.
Under President Tsai Ing-wen’s leadership, Taiwan has become a key democratic partner, a critical global chain supplier and a force for good in the international community, the minister said. When President-elect Lai Ching-te takes office on May 20, he will continue to maintain the peaceful cross-strait status quo and work with the free world on the front line of authoritarian expansion, he added. (SFC-E)
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