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China's diplomatic offensive aimed at swaying elections: Taiwan FM

ROC Central News Agency

2019/09/20 18:14:12

Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) China's ongoing diplomatic offensive is aimed at influencing Taiwan's upcoming elections and undermining its democratic process, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said Friday at a press conference, at which he announced the severance of official ties with Kiribati.

Taiwan on Friday lost its second diplomatic ally in a week, after Wu said Kiribati had given official notice earlier in the day that it was switching diplomatic allegiance to China.

"The Republic of China (Taiwan) government hereby declares that it is terminating diplomatic relations with the Republic of Kiribati effective immediately, ending all bilateral cooperative projects, and recalling the staff of its embassy, technical mission, and medical mission stationed in Kiribati," Wu said. "The government also demands that Kiribati immediately recall its government personnel from Taiwan."

He said that recently, China has been able to make inroads into the political circles in Kiribati and that the Pacific Island nation's President Taneti Mamau had been requesting a huge fund of US$36 million from Taiwan to buy commercial aircraft.

"While Taiwan is willing to assist Kiribati in developing civil infrastructure for the benefit of its people, aid for the acquisition of airplanes for commercial purposes is not consistent with the spirit of Taiwan's International Cooperation and Development Act," Wu said.

Nonetheless, Taiwan proposed assistance with the aircraft project in the form of a preferential commercial loan, but Kiribati rejected the offer, insisting on a donation, Wu said.

The decision by Kiribati to switch diplomatic recognition to China followed a similar move by Solomon Islands on Monday, allegedly based on promises of huge financial aid.

"It is blatantly obvious that the Chinese government, by creating these diplomatic incidents, seeks to manipulate public opinion in Taiwan, influence Taiwan's upcoming presidential and legislative elections, and undermine its democratic processes," Wu said.

Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 11, 2020 are widely viewed as a battle between the perceived anti-China Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT).

Wu said Taiwan will uphold democracy and will not allow China to manipulate the outcome of its elections or decide the future of the Taiwanese people.

Beijing's continuous efforts to lure Taiwan's allies are also aimed at suppressing Taiwan's international presence and forcing the Taiwanese people to accept the "one country, two systems" framework, which would reduce Taiwan to a local government and special administrative region of China, Wu said.

"China's suppression of Taiwan in the international arena cannot change the indisputable fact of Taiwan's existence, nor can it coerce the Taiwanese people into abandoning their democratic and free way of life," he said.

He urged all democratic nations to condemn Beijing's actions "in the strongest possible terms."

Taiwan, meanwhile, will resolutely maintain relations with other allies, strengthen its ties with friendly democratic countries, and cultivate goodwill through meaningful contributions to the global community, Wu said.

(By Emerson Lim and Christie Chen)
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