17.02.2023
“If Ukraine had joined NATO, maybe Putin wouldn’t dare to invade?” Former Prime Minister Truss raised such a question, calling on liberal democracies to learn lessons and take early action to improve Taiwan’s international status and thwart China’s ambitions.
(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss attended a forum hosted by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China Policy (IPAC) in Tokyo, Japan on Friday (February 17), arguing that Taiwan’s status, demonstrating its value to the world“. Truss said that Taiwan’s exclusion from international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) is not only not good for Taiwan, but also not in the global interest, so it is time to “correct this mistake” before it is too late.
Truss described Taiwan as a “beacon of freedom,” all the more important in today’s “world where civil liberties and human rights are often suppressed.” Taiwan “has a lot to learn” in terms of public health, but lacks channels for international communication; changing this situation can “help Taiwanese speak for themselves rather than being spoken for by others.”
On the 17th, at the press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, the spokesperson Wang Wenbin was asked how China viewed Tesla’s speech. According to the Chinese media Global Network, a reporter said that Truss “has made many statements critical of China.” Wang Wenbin responded that although the specific content of the speech has not yet been seen, China “always opposes distorting facts and discrediting China.”
Truss: Democracies must ensure Taiwan is capable of self-defense
In his speech, Truss conveyed the message: “Prevention is better than cure”, reminding the democratic world that there are lessons to be learned from the Russia-Ukraine war. She cast doubt on NATO: “We have to ask ourselves, if we had allowed Ukraine to join NATO, would (Russian President) Putin dare to invade?”
Democracies must ensure that Taiwan is capable of defending itself, Truss said, “and that’s what matters today.” Throughout the speech, Truss repeatedly reiterated the importance of Taiwan and emphasized that liberal democracies should do everything possible to strengthen their relations with Taiwan. Because of the agreement with China, many countries can only maintain limited diplomatic relations with Taiwan; now, the world situation has changed, and many countries have begun to reconsider how to interact with Taiwan.
In his speech in Tokyo, former British Prime Minister Truss described Taiwan as a beacon for the free world.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has long expressed his ambition to unify Taiwan; Truss believes that if his ambition comes true, “it will bring disastrous consequences.” “Since the free world contributed to China’s rise, it is up to the free world to challenge its economic dominance, and before it’s too late,” she said.
Truss pointed out that not long ago, the relationship between the UK and China ushered in the so-called “golden age”. In 2015, Xi Jinping visited the United Kingdom, which was warmly received by the United Kingdom at the time, but Truss now said: “Looking back now, I think it sent the wrong message.”
Morrison: Xi Jinping will not give up the Chinese dream
Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also attended the IPAC event on the 17th, emphasizing that countries should not face China with an attitude of appeasement.
The relationship between China and Australia seems to be easing recently, but Morrison said that Australia must not change its attitude and not cooperate with its allies. In Morrison’s view, Xi Jinping may have changed his approach, but the “intent” may still be the same. “It is certain that Xi Jinping will not give up his Chinese dream.”
(comprehensive report)
© 2023 Deutsche Welle Copyright Statement: All content in this article is protected by copyright law and may not be used without special authorization from Deutsche Welle. Any wrongdoing will result in recovery and be subject to criminal prosecution.