Taiwan is committed to standing in solidarity with democracies around the world in urging China to respect human rights, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said Dec. 6.
The government is closely monitoring the development of recent COVID protests in China, Wu said. Beijing might try to create an external crisis by accusing Taiwan as the cause of unrest to divert attention from domestic issues, he added.
Wu made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Helen Davidson published Dec. 7 by U.K.-based daily The Guardian Australia.
According to Wu, Chinese threats against Taiwan are intensifying, as evidenced by over 2,700 sorties by warplanes this year and ongoing disinformation campaigns and cognitive warfare, Wu said. Beijing’s large-scale military exercises in waters and airspace surrounding Taiwan following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit jeopardized peace and stability across the strait and the region, he said.
China’s ambition is not limited to Taiwan but extends to the South and East China Seas, as well as to the Pacific Ocean, Wu said. Taiwan will continue to enhance exchanges with like-minded partners such as Australia and the U.K. to prevent Beijing’s authoritarian expansion, he added. (DL-E)
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