Calling on the international community to oppose China's "anti-secession" law and take note of the threat Taiwan faces, the nation's top diplomat yesterday urged the world not to stand idly by as it did when Adolf Hitler slaughtered millions of Jews in Auschwitz.
"Do not think that this threat is none of your business because it is happening in Taiwan. Why were millions of Jews killed in Auschwitz? That happened because many countries simply stood idly by while Hitler committed the atrocity," Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (
Chen and Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman David Huang (
More than 60 diplomats attended the meeting, but insiders said few asked questions after Chen and Huang explained Taiwan's concerns about the law. The diplomats were tight-lipped when asked by reporters about their countries' opinions on the Chinese law.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Chen said the world's reaction to the anti-secession law was overwhelmingly negative.
"According to information collected by our overseas representative offices, most countries oppose China resorting to non-peaceful means to deal with Taiwan," he said.
The Chinese legislation enables many countries, which often regard Taiwan as the troublemaker in cross-strait relations, to "see the authoritarian side of China," the minister said.
"Now they have seen the true face of China and know that Taiwan is a peace-loving country. We never want to provoke China and will never do so," he said.
Despite the ministry's strenuous lobbying of the international community to oppose the legislation, China passed the law on Monday. Chen urged the world community to take action against the law.
Meanwhile, the EU on Monday reacted with concern about the anti-secession law and urged China and Taiwan to talk.
"The EU urges all sides to avoid unilateral actions, which can increase tensions," said a declaration published on Monday by the EU Council president, currently occupied by Luxembourg.
"The union would be very concerned if the passage of this law, which threatens violent means, would destroy the newest moves toward rapprochement of the two sides," the EU said.
The EU urged China and Taiwan to return to a "constructive dialogue," the only path that can be of use to both sides.
Beijing and Taipei should continue to communicate and take the initiative along the lines of the agreement made earlier this year to establish direct flights, the statement said.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that France supported China's unification with Taiwan but said it could be achieved only through a peaceful resolution.
The Central News Agency on Sunday quoted a French diplomat, who requested anonymity, as saying that France opposed all moves that would unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
The diplomat declined to comment about whether the new law would change the EU's position on lifting its arms embargo on China, saying EU countries would continue discussing the issue.
Australia's Prime Minister John Howard was vague yesterday about how his country might react to a war between China and Taiwan, a day after foreign minister Alexander Downer said Australia would not necessarily back the US if it were drawn into such a conflict.
Howard sidestepped the issue by saying he did not believe there would be any military conflict.
"I don't think anything is achieved by hypothesizing about something which I don't think is going to happen and something that it is in Australia's interests to do everything we can to prevent happening," Howard said.
"Everybody knows that Australia has no closer ally than the US ... Everybody knows also that we have developed a good relationship with China," he said.
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
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