Foreign Minister Wu gives exclusive interview to South Korean News 1

2022/10/28

Taiwan is committed to safeguarding its sovereignty and democratic way of life by reinforcing the country’s self-defense and asymmetrical warfare capabilities, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph said.
 
The ROC (Taiwan) and People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and China has no jurisdiction over Taiwan, the minister said. This long-standing fact has been widely recognized by the global community, he added.
 
Wu said maintaining the status quo is in the best interest of all parties involved. Citing President Tsai Ing-wen’s National Day speech, he said the government is willing to work with Beijing to maintain cross-strait peace and stability in ways that are acceptable to both sides and are based on the principles of rationality, equity and mutual respect.
 
The minister made the remarks in a written interview with News 1 for an online article published Oct. 25 by the South Korean media agency.
 
According to Wu, China has never renounced the use of force against Taiwan, and its military threat has intensified due to recent political developments.
 
Wu said a poll conducted by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council in August revealed that nearly 90 percent of the people support maintaining the status quo. This high degree of social consensus reflects the public’s rejection of Beijing’s so-called “one country, two systems” approach, he added.
 
China’s live-fire military exercises in Taiwan’s airspace and surrounding waters following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit have impacted freedom of aviation and navigation in the region, Wu said.
 
Countries including Australia, Japan and the U.S. have condemned China’s highly irresponsible military actions and reiterated the importance of a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, he said.
 
The minister said the U.S. has also reaffirmed its commitment to Taiwan’s security under the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances. Such rock-solid support was emphasized in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy report issued in February and annual National Security Strategy report earlier this month, he added.
 
While Taiwan is committed to defending itself, Wu called on the global community to stand in unity to stop China’s authoritarian expansion and promote the peace, prosperity and stability of a free and open Indo-Pacific.


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