TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday (April 9) claimed that Taiwan is part of China, prompting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to denounce these “false claims.”
On Tuesday, Lavrov met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) in Beijing and held a joint news conference. During the press briefing, Lavrov said that Taiwan is an “integral part of China” and “an internal affair of the People's Republic of China.”
MOFA issued a statement rebuking Lavrov's claims. The ministry reiterated that neither Taiwan nor China is subordinate to the other and that the “Chinese Communist Party regime has never governed Taiwan.”
The ministry described Taiwan as a “modern democratic country" that respects human rights and the rule of law. It added, “No distorted narrative disparaging Taiwan’s sovereign status" can alter the globally recognized status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
The ministry said “collusion” between Moscow and Beijing does not contribute to the stability of the Taiwan Strait and region. It said the “authoritarian convergence” of the two countries inflicts “serious damage” to international peace, stability, and the rules-based world order.
“Taiwan is on the strategic front line, safeguarding the values of democracy and freedom in the Indo-Pacific region,” said MOFA. Regarding Taiwan's stance on defending its national sovereignty, the ministry said it remains “staunch and unchanged.”
MOFA added that Taiwan continues to be committed to bolstering cooperation with like-minded countries to “jointly resist communist China’s rhetorical and military intimidation and curb authoritarian expansionism.” It closed by saying this commitment will secure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and advance international economic security and prosperity.
