Foreign Minister Wu gives CNN-News 18 interview

2022/02/15

Taiwan is committed to enhancing its defensive capabilities while expanding cooperation with like-minded partners in resisting China’s authoritarianism, according to Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu.
 
Threats against Taiwan from China are intensifying, Wu said. These include air defense identification zone incursions, grey zone activities, infiltration and misinformation campaigns, he added.
 
The government is determined to defend Taiwan through beefing up the country’s self-defense and investing in asymmetric warfare capabilities, Wu said, adding that more and more forces for good such as Japan, India, the U.S. and countries across Europe are paying close attention to cross-strait peace and stability.
 
Wu made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Anand Narasimhan of CNN’s News 18 broadcast Feb. 11 by the India-based TV channel.
 
According to Wu, the international community is coming to realize that Taiwan exists independent of China, and the cross-strait status quo is in the best interests of all parties. Only by working together can democracies counter China’s coercion, he said.
 
Regarding Taiwan-India relations, Wu sees them as going from strength to strength as evidenced by bilateral cooperation in areas spanning agriculture, education, medical and pandemic management. Highlights include the establishment of 24 Taiwan education centers in India and an investment agreement between the two sides, he added.
 
Wu also expressed his opinion on the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue involving Australia, India, Japan and the U.S., as well as the military situation in Ukraine. It is hoped the Quad countries can incorporate security issues into future discussions, and any form of aggression or armed conflict against a sovereign country is unacceptable, he said.
 
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “Minister Wu gives a good interview to @AnchorAnandN of @CNNnews18. Learn about warming #Taiwan-#India relations, the challenge to democracy posed by #China’s growing authoritarianism, #IndoPacific cooperation via the #Quad & the #UkraineCrisis.”


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)