Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with France’s Le Télégramme that the main reason cross-strait tensions remain high is because Taiwan’s functioning democracy poses an existential threat to the narrative of the CCP.
The Deputy Minister gave an interview to the French publication in May which was published last Wednesday. In the interview, Wu discussed what he held to be the root cause of tense cross-strait relations, Taiwan’s military risks, and the threat of Chinese “gray zone” tactics.
According to Wu, the CCP has long pushed the narrative that only authoritarian systems can lead Chinese people to success, and Taiwan’s effective democracy stands as an existential threat to that narrative. He noted that since coming to power, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has actively pursued the unification of Taiwan. With the PLA’s 100th anniversary coming up in 2027, concerns are growing about whether this symbolic time will be an excuse to use force against Taiwan.
On the related topic of military risks, Wu said that the risk of cross-strait conflict in the near future was quite low. However, he also underscored that it is a risk Taiwan will not underestimate– pointing to the fact that Taiwan has continued to strengthen defense capabilities, with military spending growing to nearly 17% of the annual budget. The country currently boasts an active military force of 180,000 and maintains a strong cooperative partnership with the United States.
Finally, Wu discussed the topic of Chinese infiltration into the Taiwanese government and civil bodies. He said that Beijing’s attempts to weaken the administration’s ability to govern, undermine defense capabilities, and isolate Taiwan diplomatically are what constitute the real crisis the country faces today. Still, Taiwan remains on alert for such attempts and is constantly working to enhance social defense resilience against methods like fake news and espionage. The government will continue its efforts to thwart China’s attempts to divide through hybrid warfare and firmly defend Taiwan’s democratic system and social stability.