Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu (right) greets Tom Steinfort of Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes before the recent interview at the MOFA headquarters in Taipei City. (MOFA)
 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu said Taiwan is fully committed to defending itself and safeguarding its homeland, people and sovereignty. He urged China to shoulder responsibility and peacefully resolve cross-strait differences.

Wu made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Tom Steinfort for a segment aired Nov. 6 by Australia-based Channel Nine’s news program 60 Minutes.

China’s military threats and economic coercion against Taiwan have risen, Wu said, citing its embargo of more than 1,000 local export goods in August as a failed attempt to halt Taiwan’s economic growth and international engagement.

The recent remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping clearly show that he does not understand or care about Taiwan’s people, the minister said. The future of Taiwan can only be decided by its 23 million people, as Beijing’s “one country, two systems” approach has been proven a failure, he added.

According to the minister, Taiwan never wants to see cross-strait tension escalate to warfare, as such a development will benefit neither side and will negatively affect economic activity around the world.

The potential impact is particularly detrimental in the semiconductor industry, where Taiwan accounts for 63 percent of global production and 92 percent of advanced manufacturing process technology, he said.

Beijing needs to seriously consider President Tsai Ing-wen’s National Day speech, Wu said, adding that the government is willing to engage in dialogue with China based on the principles of equity and mutual respect without any political preconditions.

The minister said China’s repeated attempts to suppress Taiwan have backfired and further spotlighted Taiwan’s credentials as a vibrant democracy.

He thanked Australia and other like-minded partners for sending delegations to the country, adding that this strong show of support will strengthen determination to fight China’s authoritarian expansion. (SFC-E)