PRAGUE (Reuters) -Taiwan wants to secure peace and stability by maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait that it shares with China and needs the support of European states to do so, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said on Wednesday.
“In order for Taiwan to stay strong and resilient and to have the courage to continue the policy of maintaining the status quo, we do need support from European friends,” Wu said in a speech at a conference in the Czech capital, Prague.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.
Wu said Taiwan was drawing lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to strengthen its resilience towards China, which he referred to by the initials of its official name, the People’s Republic of China.
“For many observers around the world, the (Chinese army) invasion may not be imminent or unavoidable and Taiwan and partners are trying to prevent it from happening,” Wu said.
“But the PRC is following Sun-tse’s ‘Art of War’, trying to crush the enemy without going to war. As we speak, the PRC is continuing to flex its muscle to intimidate Taiwan, including sending its war planes and vessels across the medium line of the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan has no formal diplomatic ties with any European country except the Vatican.
But it maintains extensive informal relations, and Central and Eastern European countries have been particularly keen to show support for Taiwan – especially following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – defying Beijing’s anger about such contacts and reducing Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation.
Wu spoke at a think tank event immediately after an opening speech by Czech President Petr Pavel, which Wu watched from the front row. Pavel left the room after his speech.
Wu, on a second trip to the central European NATO and European Union member country after a 2021 visit, on Tuesday met Czech Senate speaker Milos Vystrcil, who has been at the forefront of Czech efforts to build closer relationship with Taiwan and visited it in 2020.
Two sources briefed on Wu’s trip, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak with the media, said Wu was also expected to visit Brussels, headquarters of the European Union.
China’s Foreign Ministry urged Europe on Friday not to have any official exchanges with Taiwan or support any “independence forces”.
Beijing accuses the island’s government led by President Tsai Ing-wen of seeking independence. She has vowed to maintain the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka and Robert MullerWriting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel, Robert Birsel)
