The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday called out China for its “erroneous claim” about Taiwan and reaffirmed its stance that the country is sovereign and independent.
The ministry’s response followed remarks Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) made regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty during his phone call with US president-elect Donald Trump on Friday.
Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and this has been a universally acknowledged fact and is the internationally recognized “status quo,” the ministry said.
Photo: Yang Cheng-yu, Taipei Times
Taiwan looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with the new Trump administration based on the solid and friendly foundation of Taiwan-US relations, it said.
The two sides would continue to jointly promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and the region, it added.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a news release said that Xi told Trump that it was natural for two big countries to have some disagreements.
“The Taiwan question concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The US side needs to approach it with prudence,” the release quoted Xi as saying.
Asked about the Trump-Xi phone call, Taiwanese academics yesterday said that it shows Trump’s straightforward negotiation style and that he puts US-China relations at the top of his agenda.
“The call came earlier than I expected,” Tamkang University Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies director Li Da-jung (李大中) said, adding that it reflects Trump’s style of taking the initiative.
Although Trump has nominated many China hawks for top roles in his administration, the frequency of phone calls and meetings between Trump and Xi would likely increase after Trump takes office, Li said.
“Trump has his own important goals,” he said, adding that one of his important goals would be to solve the “unfair” US trade imbalance with China.
Amid US-China tensions, Trump’s call with Xi shows that the communications between the two countries have not stopped, but Beijing would carefully watch the situation, instead of having overly rosy expectations, he said.
Following the call, Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social that the two discussed “balancing trade, fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects,” but did not mention Taiwan.
However, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Xi mentioned Taiwan during the call.
National Cheng Kung University professor of political science Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁) said that this showed the US and China each have their own focus and interpretation of the phone call.
It is somewhat surprising that Trump made the call, Wang said, adding that he expected Trump would prioritize the Russia-Ukraine issue and speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin first.
Trump’s call with Xi implies that he deems the US-China rivalry an important issue that needs to be urgently dealt with.
Information about the phone call publicized by the US and China indicates that they had a good conversation, but it does not necessarily mean Trump would soften his stance on US-China trade issues, he said.
Wang said the Trump administration might begin negotiations on US-China trade issues immediately after he is sworn in, adding that Trump and Xi might meet in person to lead the negotiations.
“Taiwan must be prepared to keep up with the information,” Wang said, adding that the phone call implied Trump is leading with a proactive and direct style to negotiations.
He might not depend on the bureaucratic channel of communication, so Taipei might have to make adjustments and establish direct communication channels with the Trump administration, he said.
RESPONSE: The transit sends a message that China’s alignment with other countries would not deter the West from defending freedom of navigation, an academic said Canadian frigate the Ville de Quebec and Australian guided-missile destroyer the Brisbane transited the Taiwan Strait yesterday morning, the first time the two nations have conducted a joint freedom of navigation operation. The Canadian and Australian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the passage, saying only that Taiwan’s armed forces had deployed surveillance and reconnaissance assets, along with warships and combat aircraft, to safeguard security across the Strait. The two vessels were observed transiting northward along the eastern side of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, with Japan being their most likely destination,
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RSS