Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roy Chun Lee gave an exclusive interview Sept. 19 to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s David Common, titled “Meet Taiwan’s resistance. If China invades, civil defense groups stand ready,” available on CBC News website Sept. 21.
Lee said China has long threatened Taiwan, damaging morale and diminishing other countries’ pursuit of relationships with it. The PRC also uses grey zone tactics, including cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns while attempting to intimidate the country by undertaking air and naval military exercises.
China also resorts to economic coercion of Taiwan, as well as of other countries such as Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Lithuania the deputy minister said. Recently, China banned Taiwan agricultural products to exert pressure on the upcoming presidential campaign.
The demonstration of the importance of cross-strait security and the freedom of navigation by Canada through passage of a naval vessel through the Taiwan Strait was appreciated, added Lee. The vessel, HMCS Ottawa was flanked by PRC naval vessels during the transit.
Taiwan is grateful to G7 members for their opposition to the PRC attempt to unilaterally change the status quo and hopes to resolve the cross-strait issue through peaceful dialogue, the deputy minister said. He added that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown that self-defense determination and cooperation with other countries is vital to deterrence. (POC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw