Taiwan blasts Russia’s foreign minister for calling it an ‘integral part’ of China

Taipei: Taiwan slammed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for calling it an “integral part of China” and said that the “Chinese Communist Party regime has never governed Taiwan.”

Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a statement rebuking Lavrov’s claims. The ministry reiterated that neither Taiwan nor China is subordinate to the other and that the “Chinese Communist Party regime has never governed Taiwan,” as per Taiwan News.

The ministry characterised Taiwan as a “modern democratic country” that upholds human rights and the rule of law.

It added, “No distorted narrative disparaging Taiwan’s sovereign status” can alter the globally recognised status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s said on Tuesday (April 9) that Taiwan is an integral part of China, triggering a swift response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), which condemned the remarks as “false claims,” during a joint news conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, Taiwan News reported.

Taiwan is an “integral part of China” and “an internal affair of the People’s Republic of China,” Lavrov said during the press briefing.

According to Taiwan News, the ministry said “collusion” between Moscow and Beijing does not contribute to the stability of the Taiwan Strait and region. It said the “authoritarian convergence” of the two countries inflicts “serious damage” to international peace, stability, and the rules-based world order.

“Taiwan is on the strategic front line, safeguarding the values of democracy and freedom in the Indo-Pacific region,” said MOFA. Regarding Taiwan’s stance on defending its national sovereignty, the ministry said it remains “staunch and unchanged.”

MOFA further emphasised that Taiwan remains dedicated to enhancing collaboration with similar-minded nations to “jointly resist communist China’s rhetorical and military intimidation and curb authoritarian expansionism,

It closed by saying this commitment will secure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and advance international economic security and prosperity.

Meanwhile, in an official post on X, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude towards US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for their reaffirmation of stability in the Taiwan Strait following the first-ever trilateral summit in Washington, DC on Thursday.

“Thank you, @POTUS &@Kishida230 for reaffirming #TaiwanStrait stability after this momentous meeting! We’re delighted to see #US & #Japan , 2 stalwart partners in the #IndoPacific, acknowledging #Taiwan’s pivotal role in propelling regional prosperity & global security,” MOFA said in response to Biden’s post.

“Together, Prime Minister Kishida and I have strengthened this Alliance and expanded our work. We have raised our shared ambitions. And now, the U.S.-Japan Alliance is a beacon to the entire world. There’s no limit to what our countries and our people can do together,” Biden said on X, emphasising the strengthened alliance. (ANI)

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