Taiwan is staunchly determined to defend its democratic way of life in the face of China’s ongoing military threats, according to Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu.
At the same time, the government is confident the U.S. will remain committed to the Taiwan Relations Act and continue providing necessary weapons, military training and high-level information to help Taiwan enhance its indigenous defense capabilities, he added.
The minister made the remarks during an exclusive online interview with Elmar Thevessen posted Feb. 1 on the website of German public service television broadcaster ZDF.
According to Wu, China’s authoritarian expansion has gone beyond the Indo-Pacific, as evidenced by the economic pressure it is exerting on Lithuania over the EU member state’s decision to open The Taiwanese Representative Office in its capital.
Members of the democratic world need to stand in unity to protect the shared values of freedom and democracy, the minister said, urging European countries to show their support and help Lithuania oppose oppressive tactics.
Based on its actions over the past few decades, China is clearly fighting for global dominance, Wu said. Democratic partners around the world need to tell Beijing that they will not tolerate its attempts to exert undue influence on other countries, he added.
As for Taiwan’s global participation, the government is doing its best to ensure the country’s athletes can participate in the Winter Olympic Games underway in Beijing, though it will not stay silent regarding China’s repressive tactics and human rights violations, the minister said.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “Minister Wu had a good sit-down with @ZDFheute’s @ethevessen. He talked all the top #Taiwan issues at the start of the #YearOfTheTiger like #China’s military coercion, the #IslandOfResilience’s rock-solid defense & the need to #StandWithLithuania in countering authoritarianism.” (SFC-E)
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