Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu stressed the importance of cross-strait peace and stability to global security and prosperity and called on members of the free world to stand with Taiwan against authoritarian expansion.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the minister made the remarks during an interview with Dave Leins Aug. 30 in Taipei City for a documentary that aired Dec. 6 on Germany-based public service TV channel 3Sat.
The documentary also featured comments on Taiwan’s democratic development, cross-strait security issues and supply chain resilience by David W. F. Huang, Taiwan’s representative to Switzerland; Fabian Molina, chair of the Swiss National Council’s Taiwan friendship group; and business leaders and academics from Taiwan, Germany and Switzerland.
According to the minister, over 90 percent of advanced semiconductor chips around the world are produced in Taiwan, while 50 percent of all international cargo passes through the Taiwan Strait. Given the country’s critical geopolitical and high-tech importance, a military attack on Taiwan would severely impact the global economy, he said.
As Beijing continues to launch cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and other cognitive warfare in an attempt to interfere with Taiwan’s January 2024 presidential election, Wu said the government is willing to share its experience in warding off such coercion with countries around the world under similar infiltration threats from China and Russia.
China’s ambition does not stop with Taiwan, the minister said, adding that numerous countries have voiced objections to China’s unilateral attempts to change the status quo.
Wu believes recent military exercises carried out in the Indo-Pacific by the U.S., Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, as well as similar actions by other countries in the region, will serve as a strong deterrent against China. He called on Germany, Switzerland and Austria to extend cooperation with Taiwan to fight authoritarian expansion. (SFC-E)
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