Taiwan is not for sale: MOFA

ROC Central News Agency

2019/08/29 17:27:59

Taipei, Aug. 29 (CNA) Taiwan is not for sale and cannot be bought by any country, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) said Thursday, in response to a petition posted on a United States government website under the heading "Purchase Taiwan."

The petition on the We the People website, created on Aug. 27 by "C.C.," calls on the U.S. to purchase Taiwan instead of Greenland and thus create a win-win situation.

"Purchasing Taiwan will bolster U.S. security and interest in the Asia-Pacific region and protect Taiwanese people from Communism," the petition states.

Commenting on the matter, Ou said the petition is still in its early stages and has not yet reached the threshold to obtain a response from the U.S. White House.

The ministry will keep a close eye on the petition, she said, noting that it currently has only about 500 signatures. Under U.S. government regulations, a petition on the website has to gain at least 100,000 signatures within 30 days to receive an official response from the White House.

Ou said Taiwan plays an indispensable role in promoting freedom, openness, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and the Taiwan people are proud of the democratic system they have created.

"Taiwan is not for sale," she said, adding that it is sovereign, independent country with its own government, armed forces and capacity to conduct foreign relations.

Taiwan has diplomatic allies and substantive relations with more than 100 nations, and it cannot be bought by any country, Ou said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that Taiwan is a democratic success story, "a reliable partner, and a force for good in the world," she added.

(By Matt Yu and Evelyn Kao)
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