The growing threat to Chinese troops in Taiwan indicates that the self-governing island "needs to prepare" for the upcoming war, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in an exclusive interview.
The entry - of 28 Chinese military planes including fighter jets and bombs - did not violate Taiwan's airspace or international law, but was seen as a demonstration of strength by China's People's Liberation Army.
"As decision-makers in Taiwan, we cannot take chances, we have to prepare ourselves," Wu told in Taipei on Wednesday. "When the Chinese government says it will not oppose the use of force, and they are conducting military tests around Taiwan, we cannot believe it is real."
Wu, who has served as foreign minister since 2018, was accused by Beijing in May of "wanting to divide things" following remarks he made during a press conference that Taiwan would fight "until the last day" if it was attacked by China.
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"Establishing 'Taiwan's independence' is a necessary condition for maintaining peaceful relations between the people," said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesman for the Taiwan News Office in China. "Joseph Wu has repeatedly angered us by boasting of 'Taiwan's independence' ... we will take all necessary steps to severely punish" Taiwan's independence "for life in accordance with the law."
In response, Wu told he was "honored" to be directed by the Communist authorities in Beijing. "The dictatorship can't stand the truth. If they keep saying they want to follow me for the rest of my life, I'm not worried about that," he said.
Taiwan and the mainland China have been ruled separately since the end of the civil war more than seventy years ago, when the defeated Nationalists fled to Taipei.
However, Beijing continues to view Taiwan as an integral part of its territory even though the Chinese Communist Party of China has never owned a democratic island of nearly 24 million people.
In 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Taiwan to accept "peaceful integration" with the Chinese continent, but refused to ban the use of force. The threat of military coup, especially in the wake of what the Communist Party calls "separatist activities", remains a constant threat in Taiwan.
The fragile situation arose about 30 years ago, when Beijing and the then ruling Taiwanese nation acknowledged the status of "one China" which has already been interpreted differently by both sides. Putting politics in retrospect allowed trade between economics and culture to flourish over the years.
However, the current Taiwanese leader, President Tsai Ing-wen, and his party have long since rejected the so-called "1992 Consensus." Instead, he has repeatedly called on Beijing to recognize Taiwan's sovereignty and the aspirations of its people.
Wu said Taiwan could not accept a meeting with China, especially as events in Hong Kong had shown that defending Taiwan's sovereignty was important to protect its position as a Chinese-speaking democracy in the world.
He said the introduction of a national security law in Hong Kong, drafted by Beijing's top party, was used to silence the city's democratically elected party. The enacted law makes it a crime for what authorities consider to be acts of sedition, secession and co-operation with foreign forces, and is used to end media freedom and detain pro-democracy and anti-government activists.
"If you look at the situation in Hong Kong, it's a modern disaster," Wu said.
He cited the closure of Hong Kong's largest human rights tablet, Apple Daily, as a sign of China's growing intolerance of independence in a special administrative region.
"Apple Daily in Hong Kong is a symbol of independent journalism, and the Chinese government's motive for dropping that symbol. It's very sad for me to see what happened," Wu said.
"Taiwan is already a democracy," he added. "When the majority of the people here in Taiwan say the same thing, no political leader will please that idea."
Wu pointed out that the people of Taiwan want to maintain the status quo: a democratically elected president and parliament, a separate military force, and the authority to issue their visas and passports. "The current situation will include Taiwan which is not controlled or controlled by the People's Republic of China," he said.
Wu reiterated that Taipei was committed to working for peace across the Taiwan Strait, and urged Chinese leaders to work together for a more stable and peaceful relationship.
"I think it is a joint effort between Taiwan and China to have a peaceful and civil relations between the two sides, and for dialogue," Wu said.
"The people here in Taiwan want peace, and that's what the Taiwanese government wants too," he said. "Without peace, we want to negotiate between Taiwan and China. However, it takes two tango."(ads1)
Hybrid War
In addition to sending fighter jets closer to Taiwan's airport, Wu has accused China of using mixed wars to undermine public confidence in the island's democracy.
"(China) is using intelligence wars, awareness campaigns and military intimidation to create great concern for the people of Taiwan," Wu said.
The foreign minister has accused Beijing-backed organizations of publishing false stories to divide Taiwanese people, including messages that exaggerate the population of the island of Covid-19.
He also accused Chinese online companies of spreading rumors that the United States, which recently donated 2.5 million vaccines to the island, chose to vaccinate pets instead of sending more vaccines to Taiwan.
The Taiwanese News Office of China earlier called Taiwan's allegations "a speculation" and suggested that the island should "stop playing political games" to distract attention from its massive Covid-19 outbreak since the outbreak began.
Wu also stressed the importance of Taiwan in the midst of China's growing regional presence over the South China Sea and beyond.
"It's about the Chinese dictatorship trying to extend their influence ... Beyond its borders, even in the West," he added. "They want to enforce their dictatorial law and enforce a global dictatorship."
Wu said, while China spends 15 times more budget on defense in Taiwan, the island is transforming its troops to expand and transform its military capabilities.
"We have to get involved in equal wars, so that China understands that there are certain costs it has to pay if it wants to start a war with Taiwan."
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