In a meeting with international journalists in Taipei, in which Lusa participated, the head of diplomacy stated that “China’s ambition to annex Taiwan is very clear and obvious,” but it is “dubious” whether it will be able to do so by force.
If this scenario were to materialize, the island would defend itself and buy time for the support of allies to arrive, the official added.
“If China were to actually invade Taiwan, it would not just be about the so-called reunification of the Chinese nation, but would be more about breaking the first island chain (a series of Pacific archipelagos), because China wants to expand its influence into the Western Pacific and even the world.”
In these statements, Chia-Lung also noted how the imposition of a possible quarantine by Beijing on Taiwan “would take a long time to achieve its goals and would raise concerns from the global community,” in addition to mentioning that any disruption in this geographical area would affect global maritime traffic.
Taiwan is “preparing for any possible quarantine, blockade, or even invasion by China.” “We are trying to improve our readiness and preparation,” summarized the minister, reiterating that such action would represent a “violation of the ‘status quo’,” as well as a “threat to neighboring countries.”
China and Taiwan have been separated since 1949, when China became communist after a civil war.
China has sought to exclude Taiwan from international forums, considering the democratic island as one of its provinces and has not ruled out the military option to reunify the island with the mainland.
Another issue raised by the Taiwanese minister was the “misinterpretation of UN General Assembly Resolution 2785,” which translates into a “legal war,” concerning the framework adopted in 1971 for China’s representation in that international body.
Officially designated as the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan lost its place in the UN to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Last week, the Department of International Organizations of Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled that the theme of the next UN General Debate is “leaving no one behind,” but “ironically, the 23.5 million inhabitants of Taiwan continue to be left behind by the United Nations system,” a “serious injustice” due to the “malicious distortion” of the resolution by China.
“China is trying to establish a legal basis to undermine the objective reality that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign nation and strip Taiwan of its legitimate right to participate in the UN system,” the text adds regarding the island, which currently has formal diplomatic relations with 12 countries.
The official highlighted the recent approval by the U.S. House of Representatives of the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, which foresees sanctions on the bank accounts of Chinese officials on U.S. soil.
Regarding the European Union, he specifically enumerated directives stating that “if there is any attempt to undermine the ‘status quo’ in the region, the bloc will view that attempt as a form of threat.”
Also with the “recent slowdown of the economy” in China, the “main opposition to an invasion of Taiwan would be the Chinese population itself,” he estimated.
Investments in semiconductors in the United States, Japan, and Germany, are for the minister an “important approach to build” a “democratic supply chain, as opposed to the large supply chain presented by the Chinese government.”
“Because it is very likely that China would control a country through the supply chain. For example, Huawei previously built its 5G network in European countries, especially in Germany, but now the risks have been recognized,” the minister argued, adding that a “digital unit and a democratic network” are being built.
This will be a network “beneficial for all countries, because this network is closely related to our security,” concluded the head of diplomacy from the territory that produces more than 60% of the world’s semiconductors and more than 90% of the most advanced ones. Most are manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC), whose investment in Germany was announced last month.