TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Montenegro newspaper Vijesti rejected China’s request to remove its interview with Taiwan representative to Hungary Liu Shih-chung (劉世忠) published on Sunday (March 10), saying it is an independent and free news outlet.

The representative accepted interviews from several media outlets in Montenegro, analyzing the impact of the Russo-Ukraine War on the Taiwan Strait and sharing Taiwan’s experiences in democracy and economic development, CNA reported.

Regarding the situation in the Taiwan Strait, Liu said that Taiwan is already a sovereign democratic country and is not subordinate to China. He said that the Russo-Ukraine War has made Taiwanese more vigilant about authoritarian regimes.

Liu said that stability in the Taiwan Strait serves the interests of all parties, including international community members such as the U.S., Japan, Australia, South Korea, the Philippines, and several European countries, all of whom have called on China to not use military means to disrupt the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

Liu said that China has expanded its presence in the Balkans through the Belt and Road Initiative, but the project has caused debt crises and corruption problems in many countries. In contrast, he argued that Taiwan is a force for good in the international community and is willing to assist Balkan countries in their development through transparent means.

The interview was published in print on Sunday (March 10) but was met with disapproval by the Chinese Embassy in Montenegro the following day. Although Vijesti was faced with demands to remove the interview, the news outlet responded, “It cannot be removed.”

Liu became Taiwan’s representative to Hungary in 2020. Before that, he was the Vice Chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council and Deputy Secretary-General to President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) when he was Tainan mayor.