April 10, 2023
No. 098
President Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) made a diplomatic visit themed “Meeting Democratic Partners, Fostering Shared Prosperity” from March 29 to April 7, which included visits to two diplomatic allies, Guatemala and Belize. On both the outbound and return journey, she made transit stops in the United States. The visit was a success celebrated by the Taiwanese people.
China blatantly disregards the fact that it is a basic right of a sovereign nation and a long-standing practice for the R.O.C. (Taiwan) head of state to travel to other countries. China’s hyperbolic response and overreaction to the trip not only increase the Taiwanese people’s antipathy to China but also expose the erratic and absurd nature of the communist regime. It uses any pretext to conduct military drills and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region, contravening the basic principle of the United Nations Charter that disputes should be settled peacefully. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) again condemns China’s actions in the strongest possible terms.
The White House National Security Council has reiterated on multiple occasions that there have been many instances of an R.O.C. (Taiwan) president making stopovers in the United States, and it has urged China not to overreact. The US Department of State has also stated that China’s attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo will not change the United States’ long-standing practice of facilitating transits by R.O.C. (Taiwan) presidents. For years, R.O.C. (Taiwan) presidents have made stopovers in the United States when visiting allied nations. China is clearly using this as a pretext to hold military drills. The intentions behind its belligerent attempts to unilaterally change the status quo and draw a new red line are all too obvious.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) has never been a part of the People’s Republic of China, and the PRC has never governed Taiwan. These are long-standing historical facts and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. This objective reality is also recognized by the international community. Totalitarian regimes cannot understand and, of course, have no right to intervene in exchanges and interactions between democratic countries. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan does not seek to escalate conflicts or instigate disputes. The government will maintain a consistent and firm stance in calmly facing China’s growing military coercion. It will also continue to maintain close communication and coordination with the United States and other like-minded countries in jointly deterring authoritarian expansionism and aggression, preserving the rules-based international order, and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific. (E)