As China continues to deploy massive numbers of maritime warships and military assets, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu has expressed concern that the threat of Chinese domination over the South China Sea is increasing rapidly which merits united efforts to tackle the challenge.
Wu also said that he hoped India was paying close attention to China's increasing activities to gain control control over key ports in Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Djibouti, among its military actions in the Indian Ocean, reported PTI citing his conversation with a media group.
"India is also facing a threat in its northern borders with China. It is not only the military threat coming from the North, but it is also the Indian Ocean that India might face some challenges," he stated.
United efforts to tackle Chinese threat: Wu
Wu asserted that all countries having stakes in the South China Sea should work in tandem to combat the Chinese threat and muscle-flexing, offering Taiwanese support to the same. He also said that democratic countries should share resources with each other to face the challenges emanting from China.
"China also has a large number of maritime militia with fishing boats. There are hundreds of them and they listen to orders of the PLA (People's Liberation Army)," he further said.
The Taiwanese minister also accused China of causing bankruptcy in Sri Lanka and attempting to do the same in other countries like Myanmar. He also claimed that Chinese activities in the South China Sea are causing problems for the Phillipines and possibly other nations like Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia.
China-Taiwan hostility
Ties between China and Taiwan are at present hostile as the former claims sovereignty over the island nation. China has, on several occasions, stepped up military exercises around the self-ruled country, which it considers its territory under the 'One China policy'. In recent times, China repeatedly warned the island nation that it would use force if it disobeys Beijing's command and relies on the West for its security.
"There has been a relentless military threat against Taiwan. If you see the situation in the South China Sea, China has been flexing its military muscle, especially trying to intercept military vessels or surveillance aircraft coming from other countries in an undemocratic and unprofessional manner, creating tensions in the South China Sea. The tensions in the South China Sea have been rising tremendously," he said.
Meanwhile, after the clashes between the Indian Army and the soldiers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China in 2020, many experts have been appealing for upgrading India-Taiwan relations in terms of trade and investment.
(with PTI inputs)
