The military is closely monitoring the crisis in Ukraine and remains cautious of any ripples it might create in the Taiwan Strait, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said yesterday.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday in what the Kremlin claimed was a “special military operation” to achieve the “demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine,” but what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called a full-scale invasion.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the “special military operation” during a televised address on Thursday morning, Russian military units have attacked several cities in Ukraine, with explosions reported in the capital, Kyiv.
Photo: CNA
More than 100 Ukrainian people, including 10 troops, have been killed, Zelenskiy said.
Speaking to local media before attending a meeting at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Chiu said the ministry was closely monitoring the situation, but would not comment on the issue.
“What the [Taiwanese] military faces is China,” Chiu said, adding that his ministry was on alert for a potential ripple that the war could make in the Taiwan Strait.
He said the military continues to focus on training and defense preparedness, and would respond to any situation in a timely manner.
Ukraine and Taiwan are different in terms of geopolitical and geographical situations, and the two cannot be compared, Chiu said, alluding to online comments that put Taiwan on par with Ukraine.
While Chiu did not elaborate, he was likely referring to Taiwan being strategically located in the Indo-Pacific region, an area in which the US wants to maintain its influence.
Unlike Ukraine and Russia, Taiwan and China do not share any land border. Taiwan is also one of the world’s biggest sources of semiconductors, crucial components for products such as smart phones and vehicles.
Meanwhile, for many in Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, and war in general, feels far away.
In Taipei, salesperson Peter Chiang said he doubted that China would attack.
“I think even internally, they aren’t that stable right now,” he said.
“I think our situation is not very similar to Ukraine’s, whether it’s political or in terms of connections,” said Ethan Lin, a 40-year-old who works in the service industry. “China has many exchanges with Taiwan in several areas, so I don’t think it’s that dangerous.”
Additional reporting by AP
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