The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin for disparaging Taiwan’s sovereignty by saying that Taiwan issues are “China’s internal affairs.”
The ministry strongly condemned Putin’s “false” remarks that “undermined the sovereignty of the Republic of China,” ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a news briefing.
Xinhua news agency cited Putin as telling Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during a telephone call on Wednesday that Russia opposed any interference from external forces in China’s internal affairs, such as in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Screengrab from the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s virtual news conference
Ou said that Taiwanese elect their government in free and fair elections, adding that only the government in Taipei can represent Taiwan.
Beijing’s irredentist claims only cause resentment among Taiwanese, she said.
In the face of Beijing’s long-term threats to Taiwan, the government and the public are determined to fight Chinese intimidation, Ou said, adding that their determination is based on the belief that “God helps those who help themselves.”
The government will continue to strengthen Taiwan’s ties with like-minded democratic nations to solicit their support, she added.
By safeguarding freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, Taiwan makes significant contributions to the development and stability of the global economy, she said, calling it a powerful tool to counter China’s authoritarian expansion.
The government will keep boosting Taiwan’s self-defense and asymmetric warfare capabilities, deepening its ties with the US to safeguard a rules-based international order, and promoting peace, stability and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region, she said.
The ministry also thanked the US for reiterating that it would ensure that Taiwan has the ability to defend itself and deter aggression.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the remarks in an interview with the US’ Public Broadcasting Service on Tuesday.
He said that China has over the past decade been “acting more repressively at home and more aggressively abroad,” including through actions against Taiwan, which are “potentially dangerous and destabilizing.”
He urged China to take into consideration the response that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine provoked from countries around the world.
Moreover, the US has promised Taiwan’s safety under its Taiwan Relations Act, Blinken said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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