Taiwan Foreign Minister: "Must Prepare for Military Conflict with China"

"China Conducting Hybrid Warfare Including Spreading Misinformation"
Tensions Rise in Taiwan Strait... US Raises Possibility of Taiwan Invasion
Director Woo: "Hong Kong Issue Is a Modern Tragedy... Press Freedom Also Trampled"

Wu Zhaoxie, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu stated that Taiwan must be prepared for all possible scenarios, keeping in mind the possibility of military conflict with China.

On the 24th (local time), Minister Wu said in an interview with CNN, "Taiwan must be prepared for military conflict with China."

Minister Wu said, "When the Chinese government says it will not give up the use of force and conducts military exercises around Taiwan, we must take it seriously."

He added, "We cannot leave it to luck. We must be prepared." He also strongly criticized China's ambition to spread its authoritarianism worldwide.

Minister Wu said, "The people of Taiwan want peace," and added, "This is also what the Taiwan government desires."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Regarding Chinese authorities accusing him of being a hardline separatist because he advocates Taiwan independence, Minister Wu said, "Authoritarianism cannot tolerate the truth. Even if they say they will pursue me for my entire life, I am not very worried."

This statement is interpreted as reflecting the judgment that the conflict between China and Taiwan has reached its peak.

Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Ren Guochang warned Taiwan on the 24th during a regular briefing, saying, "Independence is a dead-end path and means war."

Spokesperson Ren further stated, "China's complete reunification is a historical inevitability, Taiwan is part of China, and the Taiwan issue is entirely China's internal affair."

China has also repeatedly entered Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone this month, and on the 15th, dispatched a record 28 military aircraft.

In response, the U.S. Navy conducts deterrence operations, including monthly transits through the Taiwan Strait.

The United States is also actively supporting Taiwan, providing 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine.

As these tensions continue, the possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is being raised.

Philip Davidson, former U.S. Indo-Pacific Command commander, warned at a Senate hearing last March that China might take military action within six years.

Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a House hearing on the 23rd that the likelihood of China invading Taiwan within 1 to 2 years is low, but emphasized that they are closely monitoring the possibility of military action against Taiwan.

Minister Wu criticized China's suppression of Hong Kong as a "modern tragedy." Regarding the closure of the anti-China media outlet Apple Daily in Hong Kong, he said, "Apple Daily is a symbol of independent media, and the Chinese government's intention is to knock down that symbol. It is very sad."

On the 24th, people gathered in Hong Kong to buy the last newspaper published by the anti-China media outlet Apple Daily before its closure. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

He also said, "Taiwan's democracy is already complete," and "We only want to maintain the status quo." This is interpreted as Taiwan wanting to remain free from Chinese control, to form its own government, and to operate an independent defense force.

Minister Wu also expressed concerns about the so-called "hybrid warfare" by China, which includes spreading disinformation and military threats, among other hostile actions against Taiwan.

Recently, Taiwan authorities raised suspicions that China is spreading false information inflating the number of COVID-19 deaths in Taiwan.

He said, "China's actions are causing anxiety among many Taiwanese people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.