Taipei: Taipei’s chief official for China affairs has warned that Taiwan will not accept Beijing’s refusal to engage with President Lai Ching-te’s democratically elected government, while it continues to hold dialogue with opposition politicians, according to a Nikkei report on Friday.
Chiu Chui-cheng, who serves as the minister of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), emphasized that Taiwan’s government is “most concerned about the personal safety of (Taiwanese) citizens in the mainland.” His comments came in an exclusive interview with Nikkei, shedding light on Taiwan’s stance on cross-strait relations.
Chiu also criticized Beijing for “unfairly painting” Lai’s administration as “provocative and unreasonable”. He pointed out Beijing’s insistence that Taiwan be considered a part of a greater Chinese polity, underscoring the tensions that continue to define relations between the two sides.
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This latest statement follows an escalation in Taiwan’s security measures. Earlier this week, Taiwan’s government announced plans to intensify surveillance and management of ships flying flags of convenience, including boarding them, after a Chinese-linked cargo vessel was suspected of damaging an undersea communications cable. The incident highlights the ongoing friction between Taiwan and China, which has become a focal point of rising geopolitical tensions.
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