TAIPEI (Reuters) – China’s army threats towards Taiwan will solely improve help for the island from america and different democracies, the overseas ministry mentioned after China carried out drills close by as U.S. lawmakers visited Taipei.
Beijing blamed the lawmakers, who included chairman of the Senate International Relations Committee Bob Menendez, for elevating tensions with their “provocative” journey. China claims democratically dominated Taiwan as its personal territory.
In an announcement late on Friday, Taiwan’s International Ministry condemned China’s “recalcitrant and ridiculous” response to the two-visit, the primary by a bunch of U.S. lawmakers this 12 months.
“The specter of pressure by the Chinese language Communist Get together’s totalitarian authorities towards Taiwan will solely strengthen the Taiwanese folks’s will to defend freedom and democracy, and also will appeal to help for democratic Taiwan from america and much more democratic companions,” it mentioned.
Taiwan will proceed to deepen cooperation with america and different like-minded nations to defend the free and open Indo-Pacific area, and forestall China’s “steady growth”, the ministry mentioned.
Senator Ben Sasse, one of many six bipartisan lawmakers who visited Taiwan and met President Tsai Ing-wen, mentioned in an announcement that China couldn’t bully america or its elected representatives.
“The American folks haven’t any love of tyrants and as a substitute instinctively help the freedom-loving folks of Taiwan,” he mentioned.
Taiwan has been heartened by the U.S. help supplied by the Biden administration, which has repeatedly talked of its “rock-solid” dedication to the democratically ruled island.
Whereas america has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it’s the island’s most vital worldwide supporter and arms provider. That has added to strains in Sino-U.S. relations.
Taiwan’s authorities says solely the island’s 23 million folks can determine their future.
In a pre-recorded video message to a discussion board organised by Taiwan independence teams on Saturday, Tsai mentioned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine confirmed the menace democracies face from authoritarianism.
“Taiwan’s place is to uphold sovereignty, uphold democracy, stand with like-minded nations, help one another, and contribute our energy,” she mentioned.
