Cho Jung-tai emphasized in parliament that the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name, is a “completely sovereign and independent country” and that for its 23 million citizens, “reunification” with the People’s Republic of China “is not an option.”
The Prime Minister highlighted that “Taiwan is Taiwan to the world” and underscored the island’s “extreme importance” to the international community in terms of regional security and economic and technological development.
“Therefore, maintaining the status quo is a trend that the world is closely watching today, and China cannot destroy it in any way. This is also why Taiwan must strengthen its self-defense capabilities and ally with countries that share democratic values,” Cho stated.
These comments follow the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, declaring in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump that the “return” of Taiwan to China is an “important part” of the post-World War II international order.
Xi emphasized that China and the U.S. fought “side by side” against “fascism and militarism” during the war and that given the current situation, it is “even more important” for both sides to “jointly safeguard” the results of that victory.
The dialogue occurs amid rising tensions between Beijing and Tokyo, following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent statement that a Chinese military attack on Taiwan could justify the Japanese military’s intervention.
Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP)
Beijing views Taiwan as an “inalienable part” of Chinese territory and does not rule out the use of force to achieve what it considers the “reunification” of the island with the mainland, a long-term objective for Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.
In this context, China has intensified its diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, frequently conducting military exercises near the island.
For over seven decades, the U.S. has been caught in the disputes between the two sides, as Washington is the main arms supplier to Taipei and, although it does not maintain diplomatic relations with the island, has pledged to defend it in the event of conflict with Beijing.
