The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday denounced China for publicly threatening Taiwan at an international event, saying that it was tantamount to a declaration of war and flouted peaceful international relations.
The council made the remarks after Chinese Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe (魏鳳和) earlier in the day said that China would “fight to the very end” to stop Taiwanese independence.
In a fiery address to the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore yesterday, Wei said that Beijing would have “no choice” but to fight if attempts are made to “separate” Taiwan from China.
Photo: CNA
“We will fight at all cost, and we will fight to the very end,” he told the summit, which brings together defense ministers from Asia and elsewhere.
“No one should ever underestimate the resolve and ability of the Chinese armed forces to safeguard its territorial integrity,” he said.
“Those who pursue Taiwanese independence in an attempt to split China will definitely come to no good end,” he added.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The MAC said in a statement that Wei’s remarks “proved that Beijing is the source of the regional disturbance.”
The council said it is “a fact” that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait do not belong to each other, and that Taiwan has never been a part of China.
China has been ignoring Taiwan and other countries’ opposition to its aggressive actions and false claims, and trying to unify with Taiwan by force, the MAC said, adding that China would suffer the consequences of meddling with Taiwan’s international support.
Separately yesterday, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said that Taiwan does not want to close the door on relations with China and is willing to engage in the spirit of goodwill, but on an equal basis and without political preconditions.
Speaking to reporters after China on Friday announced a ban on imports of Taiwanese grouper fish on safety grounds, a move Taipei called politically motivated, Su said Taiwan has always shown goodwill toward China.
“As long as there is equality, reciprocity and no political preconditions, we are willing to engage in goodwill with China,” he said, reiterating a position that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has repeatedly made in public.
“As for China’s harassment of Taiwan with military aircraft, warships, unreasonable suppression and political actions, the one being most unreasonable is China,” Su added. “Taiwan does not want to close the door to China. It is China that has used various means to oppress and treat Taiwan unreasonably.”
Beijing has refused to speak to Tsai since she was elected in 2016, viewing her as a separatist who has refused to accept that China and Taiwan are part of “one China.”
Tsai says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future, and while they want peace with China, they would defend themselves if attacked.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday wrote on Twitter: “#Beijing banned #Taiwan #FreedomPineapple imports, now it’s targeting our groupers. That’s what the communists do: They buy & pirate tech before weaponizing. Free & fair trade with #China is a fail. We’re just putting more ammunition in their stockpile.”
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
RECOGNITION: Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy serves as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region Taiwan can lead the unification of the Chinese people, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish president Lech Walesa said in Taipei yesterday, adding that as the world order is changing, peaceful discussion would find good solutions, and that the use of force and coercion would always fail. Walesa made the remarks during his keynote address at a luncheon of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, titled “Indo-Pacific Partnership Prospects: Taiwan’s Values, Technology and Resilience,” organized by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Walesa said that he had been at the forefront of a big peaceful revolution and “if
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
RSS