Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said that it is critical for democratic countries to join together in support of Taiwan and Ukraine to deter authoritarian aggression and preserve the international rules-based order.
The minister made the remarks in an article entitled “Defending Taiwan by Defending Ukraine: The Interconnected Fates of the World’s Democracies” published May 9 on prominent U.S. magazine Foreign Affairs' website.
In light of Chinese military support for Russia and the two regimes’ “no-limits partnership,” democratic cooperation has become increasingly important, Wu said, adding that economic, humanitarian and military backing for Ukraine must be sustained, as the geostrategic interests of democracies are closely linked. Taiwan has accordingly welcomed the recent U.S. congressional resolution on military aid for Ukraine.
According to the minister, Taiwan is equally vital to the international order. The country’s security is not just an economic issue but also a matter of geostrategic importance since Taiwan Strait peace is essential to maintaining U.S. coalition systems, regional balance and the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, which Wu called the three pillars of long-term stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan has made considerable progress in enhancing its self-defense capabilities, Wu said, adding that as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will steadfastly do its part to preserve the cross-strait status quo and regional peace.
The minister asserted that Taiwan Strait peace is a global issue, with the long-standing trilateral security partnership between Australia, Japan and the U.S., along with another between Australia, the U.K and the U.S. and other emerging security frameworks, helping lay a solid foundation for regional stability.
Wu also urged the international community step up efforts to preserve the status quo in three areas, namely countering China’s gray-zone coercion, integrating Taiwan into international economic mechanisms such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and opposing China’s distortion of U.N. Resolution 2758 while executing freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait, Wu added. (POC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News