Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs interviewed by BBC
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On 23 May, Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu was interviewed by Dan Damon on BBC World Update. In the interview, Minister Wu discussed China’s growing pressure on Taiwan, including Taiwan’s non-invitation to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) from 21-26 May, as well as China’s use of sharp power for its political purpose, such as pressuring overseas airlines to change the designation of Taiwan and increased military presence in the Taiwan Strait. The interview was subsequently released on BBC IplayerRadio and can be accessed here until 21 June.
Minister Wu stressed that Taiwan’s exclusion from the 71st WHA leaves a “loophole in the international fight against pandemic,” citing the 66 million travellers who pass through Taiwan annually. Minister Wu also stated that the incorrect designation of Taiwan on the websites of overseas airlines demonstrates that China is imposing its political view on international enterprises, adding that democracies around the world should recognise this is a problem. He concluded the interview by expressing hope that Taiwan can work together with likeminded countries based on shared values of freedom and democracy as “we cannot afford for Taiwan to be taken by an authoritarian China.”