Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu called on democracies around the world to stand with Taiwan to counteract China’s expanding authoritarianism and ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
The minister made the remarks during an interview in Taipei City with Patrick Zoll for an article published Aug. 21 on the paper edition and website of New Journal of Zurich, a Swiss German-language daily.
According to Wu, China’s military aggression is causing concern in Taiwan and other nations that want to maintain regional peace. Beijing’s actions include constant warplane and warship sorties into airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan and even across the medium line of the Taiwan Strait, as well as claims that it does not rule out the possibility of using force against Taiwan, he added.
The minister said Beijing’s ambition does not stop at Taiwan but extends to the South and East China Seas and the Pacific, adding that such threats have put Japan, Australia and New Zealand on alert.
Standing on the frontline of democracy, Taiwan is taking a prudent approach to cross-strait relations while working hard to enhance its self-defense capabilities through implementing military reforms and seeking international support, Wu said.
Due to Taiwan’s key position in the global semiconductor supply chain and worldwide maritime routes, the minister said a war across the strait would cause enormous impact on the global economy, far more devastating than that from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Describing the situation in Ukraine as a tragedy, Wu said cross-strait peace and stability have a huge bearing on global security and prosperity. Members of the free world must work together to protect democratic institutions from invasion by dictatorships, he added. (SFC-E)
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