Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says the war in Ukraine has made Taiwan more concerned about the global threat to security and democracy. That came from Wu's interview with television network France 24 on Thursday.
Wu says the war in Ukraine has made Taiwanese people more aware that China could take similar actions as Russia. Taiwan's government has responded to this threat by strengthening military training, buying more weapons, and building stronger relations with the United States and other countries.
Wu says Taiwan is an important strategic location for China. He says Beijing's authoritarian government hopes the rest of the world will stay focused on the issue of cross-strait tensions and overlook China spreading its ideology in other regions.
The minister says China has been threatening Taiwan for a long time. In January 2019, Chinese President Xi Jin-ping reaffirmed that Taiwan must accept the "one country, two systems" policy and that Beijing would consider using force to make it happen. Wu says Chinese military pressure, cognitive warfare, hacking, and economic threats have only increased since then.
Wu adds that Taiwan hopes there will not be a war, but it is willing to defend itself against a Chinese attack. He points out that Taiwan produces 62% of the world's semiconductors, and the global economy will face serious consequences if the industry shuts down during an invasion.
Wu also calls on democracies around the world to condemn China's threats against Taiwan. He says that Beijing's takeover of Taiwan would present a risk to the entire Indo-Pacific region and that the world must stop the spread of authoritarianism.