Taiwan is committed to maintaining its democratic way of life in the face of China’s ongoing campaign of coercion, according to Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu.
Around 1,000 incursions by Chinese warplanes were conducted last year, Wu said. Taiwan is determined to enhance its defensive capabilities while expanding cooperation with like-minded partners as part of efforts to resist China’s authoritarian tactics, he added.
The minister made the remarks during an exclusive online interview with Debi Edward of ITV News broadcast Feb. 18 by the London-based outlet.
According to Wu, Taiwan, which has not been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party for even a single day, stands on the front line in a global battle against authoritarianism.
Maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait is now a common goal for countries across the Indo-Pacific and around the world, Wu said, adding that Taiwan is willing to engage with China based on the principles of equal footing and without political conditions.
The government is closely monitoring China’s relationship with Russia as the two countries seek to expand their influence all over the world, Wu said.
All related developments, including support by the Chinese government for a Russian invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s support for Chinese action against Taiwan, are being watched, the minister added.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said: “Minister Wu is crystal clear in his interview with @debiedwarditv. #Taiwan is a front-line state in the battle against authoritarianism, & democracies must fiercely defend their way of life as #China & #Russia strive to expand influence.” (DL-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw