Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti has refused a Chinese demand to take down an interview with Representative to Hungary Liu Shih-chung (劉世忠) in which he said Taiwan is an “independent and sovereign country.”
The daily said it “cannot remove the report,” published on Sunday, after receiving a complaint from the Chinese embassy in Montenegro.
In the exclusive interview, Liu said that Taiwan, as an “independent and sovereign country,” does not need to declare independence, and that Taiwan and China do not have jurisdiction over one another.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Representative Office in Hungary via CNA
The Russia-Ukraine war has put Taiwanese on guard against authoritarianism, and Taiwan’s resolution to uphold its democratic way of life should not be challenged, Liu said.
Many countries benefit from peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and many countries, including the US, Japan, Australia, South Korea and the Philippines, as well as the EU have urged China not to upset the military “status quo,” he told the newspaper.
Asked about Beijing’s moves to increase its influence in the Balkan Peninsula through its Belt and Road Initiative, Liu said that China’s attempts to create a presence in the region have caused debt crises and corruption in many countries in the region, and that the initiative has not achieved its intended effects.
In contrast, Taiwan is a benign force willing to offer assistance to countries in the region in a transparent and open manner, Liu said.
Liu cited as an example Taiwan’s efforts to help the Balkan countries through vocational training programs in collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
He also invited Montenegrin government and industry representatives to Taiwan’s 2024 Intelligence Community Forum.
Since the article was first printed, it has received nearly 60,000 clicks on the paper’s Web site in both the Montenegrin and English versions.
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