TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The foreign ministry on Tuesday rejected Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks in an interview that Taiwan is a part of China.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ibrahim also supported China’s readiness to use force against Taiwan. The foreign ministry said in a statement that Taiwan is a sovereign country, while Taiwan and China are not subordinate to one another. “This fact will not change because of any false claims made by anyone,” the ministry said.
The ministry pointed out that Malaysia is a democratic country and Ibrahim has portrayed himself as a defender of human rights. “As such, he should uphold universal values such as democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, and respect the will of the people,” the ministry said.
The ministry said that any political rhetoric that supports unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait harms Taiwan’s commitment to defending democracy and undermines political trust between Taiwan and Malaysia. It also noted that Taiwan and Malaysia have maintained close economic and trade ties.
"Given the close link between national sovereignty and economic security, Ibrahim's support for China could negatively affect the confidence of Taiwanese businesses investing in Malaysia," the ministry added.
