Taiwan is not involved in military assistance for Ukraine, as it is “too sensitive,” but would like to establish a representative office in the country, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said on Wednesday during a visit to Berlin.
Taiwan has offered strong moral support to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion two years ago, seeing parallels with the threat Taipei faces from China.
Taiwan has provided millions in US dollars of humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees and joined in Western-led sanctions on Russia.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
While senior Taiwanese officials have spoken directly with some city mayors, there has been no acknowledged direct contact between the two governments.
Speaking to Reuters on Wednesday during a visit to Berlin, Wu said that Taiwan’s goal was to win as many friends as possible.
“Ukraine, even while receiving Taiwan’s support and sensing hostility from China — since China collaborates with Russia, which continues its war against Ukraine — is very careful about its relationship with Taiwan,” he said. “There is a fear within Ukraine that angering China could lead to closer China-Russia collaboration, intensifying military pressure.”
Last year, China put forward a 12-point paper that set out general principles for ending the war, but did not get into specifics.
China did not attend a Swiss peace conference on the war earlier this year.
Wu said Taiwan is focusing on developing relationships with Ukraine through its neighbors and providing humanitarian aid.
“However, military assistance is still too sensitive, so I do not think we are working on security equipment with Ukraine just yet,” he said.
Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) last week said it was up to the US to decide what to do with Taiwan’s decommissioned Hawk anti-aircraft missiles, when asked if they would be transferred to Ukraine.
In Europe, Taiwan only maintains formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican. It has de facto embassies in many European countries, including Russia, but not in Ukraine.
There is no Ukraine representative office in Taipei either.
“We are also doing our utmost to develop relations with Ukraine, but for now, we have not gone as far as establishing a representative office. Perhaps in the future — it is certainly Taiwan’s wish — but for now, I do not think we are there yet,” Wu said.
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