Taiwan says it’s willing to engage with China, doesn’t want to close door
Chinese and Taiwanese national flags are displayed alongside a military airplane in this illustration taken April 9, 2021. REUTERS FILE PHOTO
TAIPEI — Taiwan does not want to close
the door to China and is willing to engage in the spirit of
goodwill, but on an equal basis and without political
preconditions, Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Sunday.
Relations between Taipei and Beijing, which claims
democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, are at their
lowest in decades, with China increasing political and military
pressure to get the island to accept its sovereignty.
Earlier on Sunday at a security forum in Singapore, China’s
defense minister said the Chinese government sought “peaceful
reunification” with Taiwan but reserved “other
options.”
Speaking to reporters after China banned the import of
grouper fish from Taiwan on safety grounds, a move Taipei called
politically motivated, Su said Taiwan has always had goodwill
towards China.
“As long as there is equality, reciprocity and no political
preconditions, we are willing to engage in goodwill with China,”
he said, reiterating a position President Tsai Ing-wen has
repeatedly made in public.
“As for China’s harassment of Taiwan with military aircraft,
warships, unreasonable suppression and political actions, the
one being most unreasonable is China,” he added.
“Taiwan does not want to close the door to China. It is
China that has used various means to oppress and treat Taiwan
unreasonably.”
China has refused to speak to Tsai since she was first
elected in 2016, viewing her as a separatist who has refused to
accept that China and Taiwan are part of “one China.”
Tsai says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future, and
while they want peace with China will defend themselves if
attacked.
Taiwan’s people, who live in one of Asia’s most freewheeling
and liberal democracies, have shown no interest in being ruled
by autocratic China.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan
under its control.
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