Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
November 10, 2020
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good morning, London!
First, I would like to commend Chairman Tugendhat for putting together the China Research Group to promote debate and thinking on ways to respond to a rising China, and thank you for inviting me to join this timely discussion.
For decades, countries in Asia have cherished the rules-based system and maintained a delicate balance of power that fosters joint prosperity. Sadly, recent developments in the region, such as the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong, human rights atrocities in the Uyghur Autonomous Region, rising tensions in both the South China Sea and China-India border areas, have called for greater attention to situations in the region.
Cross-strait situation deserves some closer look. Since President Tsai first took office in 2016, Taiwan has continued to extend good will and welcomed peaceful bilateral exchange without political preconditions. Sadly, China continues to try to overturn our democratic institutions through influence operations. They launched disinformation campaign to infiltrate our society from the grassroots level. Attacks were especially fierce during our latest two elections in 2018 and 2020.
In terms of military threats, in addition to traditional operations, China is also deploying attrition and gray zone strategies to pressure and intimidate Taiwan while staying below the threshold of war. In 2020 alone, PLA fighter jets have made more than 50 incursions into our south-western ADIZ, especially near the Dongsha Island (also known as the Pratas Island). Armed fishing militia are known to provoke conflicts and stand ready to engage in clashes in disputed waters. And I can assure you that these provocations are sure to grow and expand to the entire region and beyond.
Given all the pressure on Taiwan mentioned above, our position remains firm. In her inaugural address this May, President Tsai reiterated the principles of “peace, parity, democracy, and dialogue” in dealing with cross-strait issues. At the same time, any attempt to downgrade Taiwan and undermine the cross-strait status quo is not acceptable. No matter the pressure, we stand fast by our vision to ensure that Taiwan is a force for good in the world and an actor for stability in the region.
Look beyond Taiwan, and there is the case of Hong Kong. I’m sure you are all disheartened to see the decline of freedom and democracy in the Pearl of the Orient, and it broke my heart to see the defenceless pro-democracy protestors, many of them younger than my son, being savagely battered by the heavily armed police. The lesson of Hong Kong have made the people of Taiwan increasingly doubtful of the CCP’s sincerity in honouring commitments it made and its capacity to govern. Our government is doing its best to take care of Hong Kong citizens seeking to start a new life in Taiwan, and we applaud your government’s noble decision to provide special BNO visa arrangements for many of them.
Lately, there is a worldwide trend to restructure the supply chains of key infrastructure such as 5G network and other strategic supplies. Likeminded countries are forming alliances to pursue joint economic prosperity. This is where Taiwan and the UK can collaborate. Taiwan was the world’s second largest chips provider in 2019. In areas such as foundry, chip design, packaging and testing, Taiwan companies even account for over 50% of global market shares. On top of world leading technologies, we also have dedicated engineers and honest providers to help smoothen the 5G supply chain restructuring.
Ladies and gentlemen, the future of Asia has come to a crossroad. It requires all like-minded democracies to develop coordinated approaches toward China to ensure that the rule-based systems built over generations of hard work remain intact. Taiwan is on the frontline facing Chinese expansionism, and what’s at stake is not only the future of Taiwan but the future of liberal democracies around the world. I am deeply grateful for the UK’s support for Taiwan, and we do need you to continue lending us a helping hand. We have plentiful experience to share with you and the world, and we appreciate any opportunity for us to contribute.
On that note, I would like to thank you and your government in particular for your staunch support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHA. We are thrilled and grateful to see the UK government paying closer attention than ever to the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan highly welcomes such attention and would like to continue strengthening cooperation with you to safeguard the freedom, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
My colleague told me that there is a full list of insightful questions, and I look forward to having a candid discussion with you. Thank you very much.