TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) highlighted Taiwan’s deterrence strategy against a Chinese invasion at a Paris seminar on Monday.

Speaking at an event organized by the French think tank Foundation for Strategic Research, Wu said Taiwan is significantly strengthening its military capabilities, per CNA. This year’s defense budget reached US$20 billion (NT$624.2 billion) and is expected to account for 3.3% of GDP by next year, rising to 5% by 2030, he said. “We want to show the world our determination to defend the country,” he said.

Wu also pointed out the increased military presence in the region by other nations, sending a signal to China to maintain the status quo. The Netherlands, France, the UK, Germany, and Turkey have all sent military ships through the Taiwan Strait, he said. Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the US, and Japan also frequently sail through the area. The deputy minister noted that Italy deployed an aircraft carrier to the Asia-Pacific region last August for joint exercises with Japan.

Wu praised Taiwan’s positive global contributions and the support it receives from the international community. In December 2019, Taiwan warned the World Health Organization about the coronavirus spreading in China. Taiwan quickly implemented border inspections and was among the few countries that never went into full lockdown.

Wu said the EU legal system recognizes a concept called sui generis, which refers to a unique entity that is not found in international or domestic laws. Taiwan is also sui generis, a new form of national existence, he said. “We possess all the elements that constitute a sovereign, independent country.”

Taiwan has its own currency, military, and diplomacy, and a distinct way of existing in the international community, he pointed out.