Taiwan is absolutely committed to defending the shared values of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights in the face of China’s ongoing campaign of coercion, according to Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu.
Beijing’s expansionism is threatening democracies around the world, Wu said. It is also engaged in isolating Taiwan from the global community through disinformation and hybrid warfare while intensifying military threats against the country, he added.
Wu made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Michael Smith of the Australian Financial Review published May 6 by the business-focused daily.
According to Wu, Taiwan is on the front line of China’s authoritarian expansion. It is necessary to build a multinational coalition of support from democracies to help defend Taiwan’s interests, he said.
Wu also took the opportunity to thank Australia for supporting Taiwan’s international participation. Given Canberra’s increasingly important role in the Indo-Pacific, Wu said, more exchanges between the like-minded partners are beneficial for both sides going forward.
Stronger bilateral ties in areas such as combating COVID-19 and strengthening supply chain resilience are also desirable, Wu said. To this end, the Australian government should start discussions on a free trade agreement with Taiwan and support the country’s forthcoming application to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, he added.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “Minister Wu is on message in his exclusive interview with @FinancialReview. Learn about issues at the heart of #Taiwan-#Australia ties, as well as the merits of an economic cooperation agreement & the country’s Trans-Pacific Partnership membership.” (SFC-E)
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