February 24, 2023
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken participated in an online event on “Russia’s War on Ukraine: One Year Later,” held by the Atlantic, a US-based magazine, on February 23. During the event, he stated that the international community is so concerned about a crisis across the Taiwan Strait because this is not, as China claims, an internal matter based on sovereignty, but rather a matter of common concern to the entire world. Secretary Blinken also noted that 50 percent of commercial container traffic passes through the Taiwan Strait every day and that the majority of semiconductors that the world needs for common devices are produced in Taiwan. He added that if a crisis were to occur in Taiwan due to China’s aggression, it would have disastrous consequences for the global economy and for countries around the world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) welcomes and sincerely appreciates Secretary Blinken’s clear statement that a conflict across the Taiwan Strait would not be an internal issue for China, exposing the false narrative that China has pushed forward relentlessly.
For years, China has continuously disseminated a fabricated “one China principle” in the international arena as a cover for its provocative actions and attempts to disrupt the status quo and as a rationale for using force against Taiwan. Its malicious behavior has been clear for all to see. Since August 2022, it has carried out provocative military activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan on a pretext, escalating regional tensions and posing a serious threat to global security with its unreserved demonstration of authoritarian expansionism. MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) has never been a part of the People’s Republic of China and that the PRC has never governed Taiwan. These are historical facts and represent the status quo that has long existed between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait have a close bearing upon global developments and are not an internal issue for China. Any unilateral disruption to the situation by China cannot be tolerated.
At this critical juncture, when the Russia-Ukraine war remains ongoing and authoritarian countries are blatantly challenging the international order, the United States and other democratic nations are continuing to pay heed to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific, highlighting the determination of like-minded partners to jointly safeguard the rules-based international order. As a responsible democratic member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to work hand in hand with like-minded partners to strengthen the resilience of the global democratic community, ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific, and counter threats and expansionist attempts by authoritarian regimes.