Failure to defend Taiwan would be ‘catastrophic’ for peace in Asia, Tsai Ing-wen says
- Island will do whatever it takes to defend itself, with the consequences of failure reaching beyond its shores, Tsai writes in Foreign Affairs magazine
- Japanese foreign minister says Tokyo hopes Taipei and Beijing can resolve their differences, but will weigh possible scenarios ‘to consider what options we have’
In an article published in Foreign Affairs magazine on Tuesday, Tsai said Taiwan would not bend to pressure, but nor would it turn “adventurist”, even with support from the international community.
“Taiwan lies along the first island chain, which runs from northern Japan to Borneo; should this line be broken by force, the consequences would disrupt international trade and destabilise the entire western Pacific,” Tsai wrote.
“In other words, a failure to defend Taiwan would not only be catastrophic for the Taiwanese; it would overturn a security architecture that has allowed for peace and extraordinary economic development in the region for seven decades.”
Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be reunited with the mainland by force if necessary.