During the “Shangri-La Dialogue” in Singapore, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun stated, “Anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will be crushed to pieces and meet its own destruction.” Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council urged the Chinese authorities to acknowledge the ongoing democratic prosperity in the Republic of China and refrain from irrational remarks and actions.
The Mainland Affairs Council of the Republic of China expressed regret over the provocative and irrational remarks made by Chinese officials during the “Shangri-La Dialogue” in Singapore on the 2nd of the month. The Council stated that China’s continued provocative rhetoric poses a threat to Taiwan and neighboring countries, escalating the risks to peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.
“The Republic of China is a sovereign state, and Taiwan has never been a part of the People’s Republic of China,” reiterated the Mainland Affairs Council. The Council emphasized that the objective reality is that Taiwan and the mainland are not subordinate to each other, which is the current situation in the Taiwan Strait. China has repeatedly tried to link its “One China Principle” to the incorrect UN Resolution 2758, attempting to shape an “international One China,” a notion that the Taiwanese people and the international community will not accept.
The Council stressed, “China has repeatedly openly threatened us with military force in international forums, severely violating the basic spirit of the United Nations Charter, Article 2, Paragraph 4, which prohibits the use or threat of force.” The Council warned the Chinese authorities not to misjudge the situation repeatedly, as any actions that do not respect popular will, violate democratic human rights, resort to laws of war and intimidation, go against the principles of international law, and will ultimately backfire. It called on the international community to respond together to this situation.
Maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait is a shared responsibility between the two sides, as President Lai emphasized in his inaugural speech by firmly upholding the “Four Adherences,” maintaining the status quo, replacing confrontation with dialogue, isolation with exchanges, and striving for peaceful coexistence and mutual prosperity as shared objectives, demonstrating goodwill. The Council urged China to understand this and promote the positive development of cross-strait relations through the accumulation of goodwill.
In response to Dong Jun’s threatening remarks towards Taiwan, Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang stated that the cross-strait relations should not escalate, as Taiwan has already put forth many goodwill policies for the future. He emphasized the need to refrain from verbal attacks and consider the greater interests of the peoples on both sides and peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Resolving issues should not be through verbal threats but through calm efforts for global technology, economic advancement, and regional peace.
The spokesperson for the Office of the President of Taiwan, Li Wen, stated that China distorted Taiwan’s government stance and even threatened military action during the “Shangri-La Dialogue.” China has long exerted political pressure by prohibiting Taiwan from sending representatives to express opinions at the “Shangri-La Dialogue,” indicating a lack of confidence in dialogue with Taiwan’s government. Such irrational remarks fail to gain international recognition.
Li Wen emphasized that Taiwan’s consistent policy stance is devoted to maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will strive to uphold peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China’s recent unilateral military provocations challenge existing international order, disrupting the status quo, and endangering regional peace. Taiwan will continue building trust with like-minded democratic countries and appreciates the international community’s continuous attention to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The spokesperson for the Democratic Progressive Party, Cho Guan-ting, called on the Chinese government to immediately cease its verbal aggression and military threats towards Taiwan. Facing the fact that cross-strait relations are not subordinate to each other, he emphasized the need to avoid repeated unreasonable insults and threats from the authoritarian power, especially the arrogant remarks made at important international forums, exposing China’s blatant dominance and intimidating behavior.
Cho Guan-ting stressed that as Taiwan undergoes significant democratic processes, the Chinese government’s military exercises threatening countries around the Taiwan Strait, retaliating against Taiwan’s diplomatic allies through trade measures, and exerting economic coercion towards Taiwan, along with the Defense Minister’s recent barbaric and violent threats in international forums, only serve to disrupt the international order, threaten regional peace, and provoke the entire democratic world.