Premier Su Tseng-chang says that Taiwan and China are not the same. Speaking at the legislature on Friday, Su said this is shown by the fact that US Citizenship and Immigration Services accepts “Taiwan” as a response on forms asking for country of origin.
Su said that the government is working hard to guarantee the rights of Taiwanese people worldwide. He said that people should be thankful the US recognizes Taiwan as its own entity.
“America distinguishes Taiwan from China. That is a friendly gesture and shows an acceptance of basic facts. I hope that people in Taiwan can appreciate this. Taiwan and China are different in so many ways. We differ on our stances on freedom and democracy. We differ on our level of respect for human rights and an open society. I hope that our people can come together to solidify our place in the world,” Su said.
Su also reiterated the importance of the role the US is playing as China applies pressure on Taiwan.