Support for Taiwan stated by former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss during the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China-staged Tokyo Symposium is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Feb. 18.
Truss said Taiwan is a beacon of freedom where civil liberties and human rights are upheld. As a flourishing democracy, like-minded partners should strengthen their ties with Taiwan, she added.
The free world must ensure that Taiwan is able to defend itself, Truss said, urging governments worldwide to signal to the PRC that military aggression towards Taiwan would be a strategic mistake.
In addition to calling on democratic countries to seek further bilateral trade and investment with Taiwan, Truss said they should find ways to elevate Taiwan’s status by advocating the country’s inclusion in international organizations like the World Health Organization.
According to Truss, the international community should agree a package of coordinated defense, economic and political measures to support Taiwan. This is first and foremost to protect the interests of Taiwan’s people and to ensure trade with the country can continue unimpeded, she added.
In response, the MOFA said Taiwan will never bow to China’s ongoing threat to unilaterally change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. The country is determined to safeguard its sovereignty, national security and democratic way of life, the ministry added.
The government will continue working with like-minded partners to counter authoritarian expansion while maintaining peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific and the global community, the MOFA said. (YCH-E)
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