The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering sending delegations abroad to allay international concerns over the government's decision to close down the National Unification Council, following criticism expressed by several parties, particularly the EU and Russia.
Ministry spokesperson Michel Lu (
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it viewed the decision "with the utmost seriousness" and feared it would "frustrate efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region."
"Russia has close relations with China, so it's not surprising that it criticized Taiwan. However, Russia's reaction also revealed that it was unaware that China opposed the council and guidelines when they were first formulated, and also that Taiwan's decision was made in order to reinforce democracy and respect the right of the people to determine their own future," Lu said at a routine press conference yesterday.
The EU issued a statement on Wednesday saying that it was "concerned" by the recent announcement, adding that the move was "not helpful to maintain[ing] stability and peaceful development in the Taiwan Strait."
However, the EU also said it remained confident that Taiwan would stick to its previous commitment of not changing the cross-strait status quo, and encouraged both sides to take initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue, cooperation and building confidence.
Lu confirmed yesterday that Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (
Following the breakfast meeting, representatives from the UK, France and Italy had also made visits to the foreign ministry to discuss the issue with officials.
Lu said the EU's response had so far been "calm" and that China should take note of the EU's call for dialogue and confidence-building across the Taiwan Strait.
Meanwhile, Lu flatly denied a rumor that Vice Foreign Minister Michael Kau's (
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