TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China, not Taiwan, is the greatest source of regional instability, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said Tuesday, CNA reported.
The comments came after Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Monday that President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) administration was the main reason peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait had been damaged. Guo made the remarks after Lai said Sunday that Taiwan is not subordinate to China.
Hsiao said Lai had already made Taiwan’s position clear when asked about a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “Taiwan maintains the status quo, Taiwan-US security cooperation helps preserve peace, and peace in the Taiwan Strait must not be sacrificed or traded,” Hsiao said.
Hsiao said China has continued to expand its military activity in the Taiwan Strait and nearby waters in recent years. He cited Chinese military aircraft and naval operations near Taiwan, large-scale exercises, gray-zone coercion, and political and economic pressure on neighboring countries.
“Beijing is also trying to project military power beyond the region,” Hsiao said. He said China’s actions show it is the biggest risk to regional stability and is using false claims to shift responsibility.
“The Taiwan Strait issue is not only a matter for Taiwan,” Hsiao said. “It is also a security challenge for the first island chain and the wider Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
Hsiao said Taiwan is an important part of Indo-Pacific security and global supply chain restructuring. “Any action that harms peace in the Taiwan Strait would challenge international rules and affect regional security, global supply chains, and the world economy,” he said.
“Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other,” Hsiao said. “Taiwan is already a sovereign, independent democracy, so there is no issue of Taiwan declaring independence,” he said.
Hsiao said Taiwan’s goal is to maintain the status quo and protect peace in the Taiwan Strait. He said the real source of rising tension is China’s unilateral political and economic pressure, gray-zone activity, and military harassment.
“As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to support regional peace and stability,” Hsiao said. He said Taiwan will strengthen its self-defense and deepen security cooperation with the US and other democratic partners to respond to authoritarian challenges.
