Taiwanese foreign minister says Chinese threat is “very serious”

Published on : 01/13/2022 – 13:49

Joseph Wu told France 24 that China’s military threat to Taiwan was “very serious” and not just verbal. He noted that Beijing had significantly modernized its military and spoke openly of “invading” Taiwan. In response, he explained, Taiwan has acquired new weapons and is preparing for possible Chinese military action.

The Taiwanese foreign minister said he expects the United States to help Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, but stressed that his country must be prepared to defend itself independently. He insisted that China cannot be believed when it claims that Taiwan will be governed on the “one country, two systems” formula, pointing to the repression of recent years in Hong Kong.

Joseph Wu finally welcomed the opening of a de facto embassy in Lithuania bearing the name “Taiwan” instead of the usual “Taipei”, detecting there the symbol of the change of perception underway in the capitals Western countries vis-à-vis Beijing. He hopes other Western countries will “understand” this decision.