Foreign Minister affirms Taiwan’s commitment to maintaining cross-Strait status quo in CNN interview
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Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu had an interview with CNN on 23 July in which he reiterated that the government is fully committed to maintaining the cross-Strait status quo for the benefit of the people on both sides and throughout the region. “We want to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” even though Taiwan’s international space is under pressure from China, the Minister affirmed.
According to Minister Wu, China is stepping up pressure on Taiwan’s international space via a strategy of poaching of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, pressuring private companies to change Taiwan’s designation on their websites and increased military activity around Taiwan. However, these tactics are not winning the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese people; “It is pushing Taiwan further and further away”, the Minister said. Responding to a question on Taiwan-US relations, Minister Wu stated that “Taiwan is not tradable. Democracy is not tradable…We feel strongly that the Trump administration as a whole is deeply committed to Taiwan”. Concerning Taiwan’s official ties with the Holy See, Minister Wu commented that Taiwan maintains close contact with the Vatican and staunchly supports its policy of allowing the freedom of religion to prevail in China.