Foreign Minister Wu discusses Taiwan-US relations in PBS interview
2021/05/28
Taiwan is committed to strengthening cooperation and exchanges with the U.S. across the board to ensure continued development of the already robust bilateral relationship, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said May 26.
The level of engagement between Taiwan and the U.S. on defense and other key issues has increased in recent years, Wu said, citing U.S. navy patrols in the Taiwan Strait beginning last year and various goodwill gestures made by the Biden administration.
Specific examples include issuing new guidelines on meetings between officials from both sides as well as coordinating with other like-minded partners to stress the need for peace and stability in the region, Wu said. Such strong support is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, he added.
Wu made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Nick Schifrin of U.S.-headquartered Public Broadcasting Service’s “NewsHour” program.
Taiwan is on the front line of Beijing’s authoritarian expansionism, as evidenced by repeated incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone and attempts to cut off the country’s global participation, including in the World Health Organization, Wu said.
China has been using cyberattacks and disinformation to disrupt Taiwan’s democratic way of life while seeking to fracture its rock-solid partnership with the U.S., he added.
Taiwan understands that it must take responsibility for its own defense, Wu said, adding that the government is committed to continuously enhancing its indigenous capabilities in this regard.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Minister Wu’s interview with @nickschifrin of @NewsHour is in-depth & informative to say the least. Learn about the big developments like expanding #Taiwan-#US exchanges, & the country's rock-solid resilience in the face of #China’s authoritarianism & campaign of coercion.”
Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)
