Updated:
Taiwan has warned against further escalation in the face of mounting tensions with China.
Taipei – A military conflict between the two countries would be “a disaster – not only for Taiwan but also for China and the rest of the world,” Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told AFP on Tuesday. China could try to create an “external crisis” to divert attention from domestic problems.
Economic growth in the People’s Republic has slowed, the western sanctions are also having an effect and there are energy bottlenecks, said Wu. “Such situations could create an environment for an authoritarian leader to consider external measures to divert attention domestically,” he said. “The danger is and it is getting bigger,” he added.
Tensions between Beijing and Taipei have been increasing for years. Beijing regards Taiwan, which split from China in 1949, as a breakaway province that should be reunited with the mainland – if necessary with military force. China’s President Xi Jinping recently repeatedly affirmed China’s claim to reunification with Taiwan. In the past few months, incidents in which Chinese fighter jets penetrated the Taiwanese air defense space increased.
Wu was in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, on Tuesday to attend an event organized by the Globsec Institute. China protested against the Taiwanese foreign minister’s trip to Europe, who is also visiting the Czech Republic. China firmly rejects the countries concerned cooperating with such “separatists” and supporters of Taiwan’s independence.
bfi / cp
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