Foreign Minister reiterates cooperation with democracies against authoritarian...

2023/09/05

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Jaushieh Wu delivered a speech Sept. 2 at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) annual summit in Prague, expounding on the severe threat that both Russia and China’s authoritarian expansion has on global democracies. Wu called on the international community to support Ukraine and maintain cross-strait peace and stability.
 
In a pre-recorded speech to lawmakers from 25 countries, Wu said that Russia has successively invaded Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine, while China has adopted radical suppressive measures in its handling of Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. He said that in addition, the PRC continually threatens Taiwan with invasion by military force, and only through democratic countries’ collaboration can authoritarianism be deterred.
 
Wu said that Taiwan remains firm in its support of Ukraine and joins in international condemnation of Russia. Citing the threat that China poses to Japan and the Philippines in the East and South China Seas and regional waters, the minister praised joint deterrence against Chinese aggression by Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the U.S.
 
The minister emphasized that the merging of Russian and Chinese authoritarian expansion in Asia posed a threat to regional security, weakened the rules-based international order and attempted to unilaterally change the status quo, jeopardizing long-term peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
 
Wu said that cross-strait security is vital to global stability and therefore Taiwan is grateful to countries who have taken concrete action to uphold the status quo, such as French President Macron’s legalization of the freedom of navigation operations, Czechia’s Indo Pacific strategies and Lithuania’s assertion that use of military force is a red line.
 
Founded in 2020 by Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the U.K., the U.S., and the European Parliament, IPAC is dedicated to coordinating a unanimous China policy to maintain freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rules-based international order.


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