MOFA Minister Joseph Wu took to the airwaves today to brief the foreign and domestic press corps on Taiwan’s position on the recent live-fire exercises in the waters around Taiwan. Minister Wu condemned China’s use of Speaker Pelosi’s visit as a pretext for its irresponsible violation of Taiwan’s rights under international law and the disruption of airways and shipping routes. He stated that China’s true aim is to rupture the long-term status quo across the Taiwan Strait and to restrict the international community’s freedom of navigation, adding that the use of such military exercises, missile launches, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and economic coercion are all designed to weaken public morale in Taiwan, in the hopes of invading. Minister Wu asserted democratic Taiwan’s right, as an independent and sovereign nation, to maintain relationships with other countries and to participate in and contribute to the international community and thanked friends around the world who have stood up in support of Taiwan to condemn China’s actions. Minister Wu also warned the international community that China’s authoritarian expansionist agenda is not going to stop with the targeting of Taiwan, as it is already extending its influence into the Pacific, South Asia, and even Africa and Latin America. He called for all nations to work together to explore a means of responding to China’s actions. Minister Wu stated that the people and the military of Taiwan have displayed the utmost resilience and confidence in the face of China’s attempt to intimidate and that they will not break us. Taiwan will work with the international community to jointly safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
