Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said Taiwan is committed to enhancing its self-defense capabilities and garnering more global support to deter China’s aggression.
Wu made the remarks during an interview with Richard Engel for a segment titled “Taiwan’s foreign minister issues stark warning about tensions with China” aired June 29 on the NBC Nightly News by the U.S.-based media outlet.
According to the minister, the major difference between Taiwan and China is the democratic government system. Taiwan has a democratically elected president, a legislative body and ministries of foreign affairs and national defense, as well as using the new Taiwan dollar currency, all of which show that Taiwan is not part of the People’s Republic of China, he said, adding that Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, the East China Sea and South China Sea reflect its attempts to expand its authoritarian worldview.
China’s ongoing sea and air patrols near Taiwan added to frequent media releases stating that it does not rule out using force against Taiwan, pose a risk of military conflict in the region, Wu said. History shows that wars could be triggered by accident, so countries and territories worldwide, including China, must be responsible when engaging in any international operations, he added.
Wu said Taiwan is working hard to avoid war and countries like the U.S. and Japan have demonstrated their deterrent power in the Asia-Pacific, adding that China should carefully consider the costs of invading Taiwan. A war is neither inevitable nor imminent as all parties are cooperating to contain Beijing’s increased threats, he added.
Taiwan has learned from Ukraine’s determination to safeguard their territory, freedom and sovereignty, as well as their asymmetric strategy in the Russia-Ukraine war, Wu said, adding that support from other democracies demonstrates that Taiwan and Ukraine are not alone.
Wu took the opportunity to thank the U.S., Japan and European countries’ leaders for their expressions of support in numerous summits, stressing that cross-strait peace and stability is crucial to global security, as is voicing opposition to any unilateral change of status quo by use of force. (YCH-E)
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