Taiwan’s foreign minister warned the self-governing island will battle China alone and is unsure of its allies.
China claims Taiwan as its own land, to be conquered by force if necessary, and tensions are escalating.
Joseph Wu told Sky News Australia last Friday that Taiwan, with 23 million people compared to China’s 1.4 billion, must protect itself and not expect others to do so.
Wu replied, “This is a very good question.”
“A lot of people are debating strategic ambiguity or strategic clarity, but to us, we know our own responsibility,” Wu told the Taipei news station.
“Taiwan has to defend itself, the people have to defend Taiwan, this country,”
Although U.S. policy is unclear, President Joe Biden has repeatedly said American forces would defend Taiwan.
Taiwan’s foreign minister doesn’t know which nations will aid it in a conflict with China.
In March, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles claimed his country had not promised to back the US in any potential Taiwan battle as part of an arrangement to buy American nuclear-powered submarines.
In response to China’s expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific, Biden and the leaders of Australia and the UK announced that Australia will buy nuclear-powered attack submarines from the U.S.
Australian critics of the arrangement claim that the US would not hand over five Virginia-class submarines without assurances that they would be ready in a fight with China over Taiwan.
Wu replied, “I certainly hope not.”
“The reason is very clear: War means devastation, not just for the one who got attacked but possibly also for other countries,” Wu added.
“And therefore, at this moment, even though we see that the tension has been rising and the conflict seems more likely and peace is less likely to maintain, we need to do everything to prevent war,” he said.
Wu said Taiwan is maintaining de facto independence without a formal declaration. Taiwan became independent four years after Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist administration fled to the island to avoid Mao Zedong’s Communist takeover.
Taiwan has maintained its international presence while being politically and militarily isolated by Beijing.
Despite lacking diplomatic relations, Taiwan’s closest military and political ally is the U.S. U.S. military have been increasing their presence in Asia, most recently in the Philippines, to prepare for future warfare.
The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said China launched 38 fighter jets and other airplanes near Taiwan as part of a harassment and intimidation campaign on Friday.
That was the largest flight display since a large military exercise that simulated sealing off the island after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met on April 5. China opposes official Taiwan-other government contacts.
Taiwan has revitalized its local defense sectors, overhauled training, and extended compulsory national service for all men from four months to one year while purchasing military gear from the U.S. with an estimated $19 billion of equipment on backorder. Taiwan’s goal is to delay Chinese forces until outside support arrives.
“We’re trying to prevent war, and I think a lot of responsible members of the international community, especially the like-minded partners of Taiwan, like the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada and etc., we are all doing everything we can to prevent war,” Wu said.