Chinese Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe (魏鳳和) “laid bare the militarism of the Chinese communist regime and the severe threat it represents to peace in the Taiwan Strait and the entire region” in his “bellicose” speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday.
“The Republic of China has always been a sovereign and independent state, as well as a force for peace and stability in the Asia Pacific,” the ministry said in a statement. “The nation’s armed forces do not seek or fear war.”
Other nations that believe in freedom, democracy and human rights will find Taiwan a willing friend and ally for the mutual effort to uphold regional peace and stability, the ministry added.
Wei said that “if anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs, at all costs, for national unity.”
Referring to then-US president Abraham Lincoln’s efforts during the US Civil War to justify Beijing’s approach toward Taiwan, Wei said that “the US is indivisible, so is China. China must be and will be reunified.”
Wei’s comments also drew a rebuke yesterday from Democratic Progressive Party spokesman Chou Chiang-chieh (周江杰).
China sees Taiwan as a threat to its domestic totalitarian order, but Beijing’s behavior has made a mockery of its talk of a“peaceful rise,” Chou said.
“The free and democratic government of Taiwan will not cave to Beijing’s threats and the administration is to continue the strengthening of the nation’s defenses and enhance ties with the civilized nations of the world, including the US,” he said.
Additional reporting by Yang Chun-hui
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