China is preparing for war to seize Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said in Washington on Friday, warning that Taiwan’s fall would trigger a regional “domino effect” endangering US security.
In a speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu said Taiwan’s strategic importance is “closely tied” to US interests.
Geopolitically, Taiwan sits in a “core position” in the first island chain — an arc stretching from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo, which is shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, he said.
Photo: Screengrab from the Heritage Foundation’s YouTube channel
“Taiwan was on the front line against red China’s expansion, and Taiwan is now on the first line facing the confrontation between the democratic camp and authoritarian camp,” said Chiu, who was invited to deliver a speech at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation.
Chiu said that in pursuing “unification with Taiwan,” China — which has long refused to renounce the use of force — seeks to drive US influence out of the Indo-Pacific region and ultimately supplant Washington as the global leader, “to restore national glory and realize the so-called ‘China dream.’”
He added that Beijing “has been actively preparing for war,” citing intensified Chinese military activity around Taiwan.
“If Taiwan were to be taken over by China by force, it will trigger a domino effect, undermine the regional balance of power and directly threaten the security and prosperity of the United States,” Chiu said.
The US is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier, and Taipei appreciates the reaffirmation of that commitment under US President Donald Trump, Chiu said.
Taiwan, as the world’s leading producer of advanced semiconductors, serves as a critical hub of the global high-tech industry, Chiu said.
“If Taiwan’s role in this were to be compromised, it would be a huge loss to the international community, especially the US and its technology industry,” he said.
Taiwan is a mature, free and democratic country whose democratic experience and achievements can “penetrate the border of China” and thus inspire people across the Taiwan Strait to “pursue freedom and a better life,” he added.
Pointing to what he described as the MAC’s “rich experience” in dealing with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chiu said Taiwan is ready to share its research findings with the US as it seeks effective ways to address “the many challenges posed by China’s rise.”
Asked whether Beijing’s reported effort to press Washington to shift its Taiwan stance — from “not supporting” to “opposing” independence — could surface in a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) later this year, Chiu said Taiwanese authorities “have always been happy to see” the US and China engage in communication.
“We believe the exchanges can maintain the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” he added.
The speech at the Heritage Foundation was part of Chiu’s visit to the US from Sept. 6 to today, during which he met with executive-branch officials and members of the US Congress, including those on the House of Representatives Select Committee on the CCP.
Visits by senior Taiwanese officials to the US are rare compared with visits by major US allies, and their trips are generally much lower profile.
The council said the meetings would help “explain the government’s cross-strait policy and encourage broader attention to Taiwan Strait issues.”
China’s Washington embassy said Beijing stood ready “to work with the greatest sincerity and exert utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification” with Taiwan.
“Meanwhile, China will take all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ separatism and external interference,” Chinese embassy in Washington spokesman Liu Pengyu (劉鵬宇) said in an e-mailed response when asked about Chiu’s remarks.
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