Foreign Minister Wu gives interview to The New York Times

2024/04/02

Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said that Taiwan’s security is linked to that of Ukraine, and U.S. abandonment of the east European country will strengthen China’s ambition to assault Taiwan.
 
The minister made the remarks during an interview with Edward Wong March 28 for an article titled “Taiwan’s top diplomat says U.S. aid to Ukraine is critical for deterring China” published later the same day by The New York Times.
 
The U.S. should not give up aid to Ukraine as the world is an interconnected entity, Wu said, adding that if Russia occupies more Ukrainian territory, it would be seen as a victory of authoritarian states as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are a linked block.
 
According to Wu, U.S. support to countries suffering from authoritarian aggression like Ukraine is of critical importance, and a halt in U.S. arms shipments to Ukraine would make China more aggressive towards Taiwan and add substance to the Beijing propaganda that the U.S. is an unreliable partner.
 
The minister went on to say that if Ukraine is defeated, China will see it as weakness on the part of the U.S. and assume that the country would give up its support for Taiwan. Chinese officials would learn from Russia’s victory, which could result in a greater likelihood of Chinese invasion of Taiwan, he added.
 
China continues to spread disinformation to undermine the unity of democracies, Wu said, citing Beijing’s propaganda after U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, as well as its commitment to Russian narratives on the Ukraine war, including the concept that NATO expansion has forced Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack Ukraine, he added.
 
Wu said some central and eastern European countries seeking to forge anti-authoritarian partnerships had strengthened their relations with Taiwan during the Russia-Ukraine war. The minister’s emphasis on the necessity of the U.S. support of Taiwan was also echoed by Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim last year, according to the article.


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