Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) says democracies like Taiwan should not allow China to intervene in their elections. Wu made the comments during an interview for the BBC program Newshour on Tuesday.
During the interview, Wu was asked if it was necessary for the DPP to continue policies that anger China and raise tension in the region. He responded by saying that China is angered by many things and that Taiwanese people cannot let Chinese emotions dictate how they live.
Wu says that despite China’s strong military response to the visit by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan last August, he has no regrets about it. He says given China’s continued attempts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, visits by any foreign dignitaries or leaders will be welcomed in Taiwan. He said this includes a visit by the new U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, though he adds he has not spoken with Johnson.
Wu also says that cross-strait issues are not the only thing on the minds of Taiwanese people, and voters will make their decisions based on the quality of the candidates.