Taiwan

Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister

15 Jan 2024 2 5

Li Haidong

Inserted 3 months ago

“The visit of former US officials [ former US National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley and former Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg] to the island of Taiwan again reveals the US' usual indulgence of Taiwan secessionists and it is sending wrong signals to those forces on the island of Taiwan.”

Globaltimes

Professor at the China Foreign Affairs University

14 Jan 2024 4 2

Xin Qiang

Inserted 3 months ago

“The US' policies on the Taiwan question are double-faced. On one hand, Washington does not want the Taiwan secessionists to be "troublemakers" to trigger cross-Straits conflicts, and on the other hand, Washington does not wish to see closer and warmer cross-Straits ties, as it wants to use Taiwan as tool to counter Beijing.”

Globaltimes

Deputy director of the Center for US Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai

13 Jan 2024 3 3

William Lai

Inserted 3 months ago

“I want to thank the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy. We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy.”

President of Taiwan

13 Jan 2024 2 2

Hou You-yi

Inserted 3 months ago

“As a former detective, I know you cannot negotiate with a criminal if you do not get your raid squad ready first. If leaders across the Taiwan Strait should meet, there must be consensus on this matter from Taiwanese society. At this stage, I think there remains a long way to go before leaders in Taiwan and China can meet. Cross-strait exchanges can begin in the private sector. We are no comparison with China when it comes to defense spending, but we are confident that China would not dare start a war in the Taiwan Strait, because it is a price it cannot pay.”

New Taipei City Mayor and Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate

11 Jan 2024 2 4

Jaw Shaw-kong

Inserted 3 months ago

“If Lai wins, then tensions would surge before May 20, when President Tsai Ing-wen hands over power. Tsai Ing-wen is more low key, not shouting every day about 'I'm for Taiwan independence' and the Taiwan Strait is already so tense. If Lai Ching-te wins, do you think the cross-strait situation will be better than it is now.”

KMT’s vice presidential candidate

10 Jan 2024 4 2

Brian Hioe

Inserted 3 months ago

“Just go around the city and you see election ads everywhere, blanketing everywhere, just like you just see speaker trucks blaring election slogans everywhere in your daily life. So, it's very ubiquitous and it points to how politics is very integrated into everyday life in Taiwanese society.”

The founding editor of the independent New Bloom Magazine

07 Jan 2024 2 3

Lev Nachman

Inserted 3 months ago

“Because of Taiwan's contested status and the uncertainty that that brings not just to the region, but the world as well, everyone is really invested in who's going to be the one steering the ship, so to speak, because that will have a lot of implications for not just security, but also risk and economic potential. The reason so many people want to make sure that this is a free and fair election is because the world will be very interested if Taiwan's status as a democracy changes. I think people not only care about who wins the election but how they win.”

Expert in Taiwanese politics and an assistant professor at Taipei’s National Chengchi University

07 Jan 2024 2 2

Chiu Tai-san

Inserted 4 months ago

“It is self-evident that Beijing is trying to sway Taiwan elections through means including free trips for politicians. They have already made it clear that a so-called 'right choice' has to be made, meaning choosing candidates that the Chinese Communist Party prefers.”

Minister of the Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC)

01 Dec 2023 3 4

Wellington Koo

Inserted 5 months ago

“The Chinese leadership is divided into two camps regarding the country's overall strategy. A Chinese State Council-based group is advocating economic development, while a national security group is pushing for an aggressive stance on the world stage. Although the national security wing holds sway over policymaking, the Chinese government would probably act cautiously in the immediate future. Addressing economic problems stemming from declining foreign investments, local government debt, rising youth unemployment and weak domestic demand would likely absorb Beijing's attention. China's economy could face devastating consequences if Beijing pursues policies that could scare away foreign investors and businesspeople, including from Taiwan.”

Taiwan National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General

01 Nov 2023 2 2

Taiwan's Defense Ministry

Inserted 7 months ago

“Between the morning of September 17th to 18th, the Ministry of National Defense had detected a total of 103 Chinese aircraft, which was a recent high and has posed severe challenges to the security across the Taiwan Strait and in the region.”

Statement by the Taiwan's Defense Ministry

18 Sep 2023 3 3

William Lai

Inserted 8 months ago

“Taiwan holds regular elections for our president, vice president, legislators, officials, mayors and local government leaders, and they serve the people, so I think this shows that it is a fact that Taiwan is a sovereign country. This is a fact, this is the truth.”

Taiwanese vice president and presidential hopeful

25 Aug 2023 1 2

Joseph Wu

Inserted 8 months ago

“China has made it clear it wants to shape the island's national election. It's up to our citizens to decide, not the bully next door.”

Taiwan’s foreign minister

20 Aug 2023 (approx) 1 4

William Lai

Inserted 8 months ago

“If Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, if the Taiwan Strait is peaceful, then the world is peaceful. No matter how great the threat of authoritarianism is to Taiwan, we absolutely will not be scared nor cower, we will uphold the values of democracy and freedom.”

Taiwan’s Vice President

13 Aug 2023 5 1

Jeff Liu

Inserted 8 months ago

“China has no reason to overreact or take the opportunity to escalate the situation. If China decides … to take provocative actions, it is China, not Taiwan or the United States, that undermines the status quo of peace and stability in the region.”

Taiwan Foreign ministry spokesman

12 Aug 2023 3 2

Tsai Ing-wen

Inserted 11 months ago

“War is not an option. Neither side can unilaterally change the status quo with non-peaceful means. Maintaining the status quo of peace and stability is the consensus for both the world and Taiwan. Although Taiwan is surrounded by risks, it is by no means a risk maker. We are a responsible risk manager and Taiwan will stand together with democratic countries and communities around the world to jointly defuse the risks.”

President of Taiwan

20 May 2023 2 2

Tsai Ing-wen

Inserted 1 year ago

“China uses this to launch military exercises, causing instability in Taiwan and the region. This is not a responsible attitude for a major country in the region.”

President of Taiwan

10 Apr 2023 1 1

Joseph Wu

Inserted 1 year ago

“The foreign ministry and embassy grasped the relevant information and handled it carefully. However, the Castro government also asked us for billions of dollars in huge economic assistance and compared prices for assistance programmes provided by Taiwan and China. The Honduran foreign minister wrote to Taiwan on March 13, the day before Castro's original announcement, demanding a total of $2.45bn in aid, including the construction of a hospital and a dam and debt forgiveness. It felt like what they wanted was money, not a hospital.”

Taiwan’s foreign minister

26 Mar 2023 (approx) 2 2

Joseph Wu

Inserted 1 year ago

“The marks of Chinese involvement are very obvious. But Taiwan will not engage in dollar diplomacy with China. We've entered a very difficult phase. But we'll work hard until the last minute.”

Taiwan’s foreign minister

23 Mar 2023 2 3

Wen-Ti Sung

Inserted 1 year ago

“Some may be concerned about whether another visit at this time may be too unnecessarily provocative, as partners are already stretched thin with helping Ukraine. They may think that there is better timing than this current moment to be pursuing another US Speaker visit to Taiwan. And Taiwan wants to be seen as an understanding friend. as long as Tsai [Tsai Ing-wen] receives upgraded protocol treatment on her next trip, it can be considered a win for Taiwan.”

Political scientist who teaches at Australian National University’s Taiwan Studies Program

08 Mar 2023 3 2

Chiang Wan-an

Inserted 1 year ago

“As Taipei mayor, I give my sincere apology about the cigarette confiscation incident that occurred in front of the Tianma Tea House in Taipei's Dadaocheng area 76 years ago, which led to the historical pain of the 228 Incident across the nation.”

Mayor of Taipei and member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)

28 Feb 2023 2 2

Liu Fu-kuo

Inserted 1 year ago

“Public opinion is on the move as seen in the last two local elections. The government has made a number of quite serious mistakes which have already shaken the support of younger generation. Last year after the missile crisis - the Fourth Strait Crisis - the younger generation understands that if we don't improve things with China, Taiwan will be preparing with war.”

Professor and research fellow at the Institute of International Relations at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University

20 Feb 2023 2 3

Kharis Templeman

Inserted 1 year ago

“The KMT, of course, is going to jump at the chance to demonstrate that they can cooperate with Beijing they can play nice together. And if in a year [Taiwanese] elect a KMT candidate as president, cross-strait relations will improve a lot. That's clearly what they think will be the most effective pitch to voters and if Beijing helps them make that pitch that's smart from Beijing's perspective.”

Research fellow at the US Hoover Institution and a member of its Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region

20 Feb 2023 2 2

Mark Cancian

Inserted 1 year ago

“War with China would produce destruction on a scale unseen by the United States since 1945. Deterrence is possible and affordable, but it will require planning, some resources and political will. In four weeks of fighting, the United States typically lost hundreds of aircraft, two aircraft carriers and up to two dozen other ships. Bases on Guam were devastated. The Taiwanese economy suffered extensive damage. Japan was often dragged into war. China also took terrible losses, often including more than 100 warships and tens of thousands of soldiers killed, wounded or captured. Such a failure might endanger the Chinese Communist Party's grip on power.”

Senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) International Security Program and former U.S. Marine Corps colonel

10 Jan 2023 6 3

Tsai Ing-wen

Inserted 1 year ago

“The decision is a difficult one, but as the head of the military and for the continued survival of Taiwan, this is an inevitable responsibility.”

President of Taiwan

27 Dec 2022 0 2

Chen Fang-Yu

Inserted 1 year ago

“Chinese intimidation of Taiwan rose markedly following the Taiwanese presidential election in 2016 and has increased since to reach a culmination so far this year, with the massive military exercises that took place around Taiwan following Nancy Pelosi's visit in early August. At the same time, the undermining of Hong Kong's free system in 2019 and 2020 as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown the Taiwanese that certain events that previously were believed to be unthinkable can actually happen.”

Assistant professor at Soochow University in Taipei and studies the political relations between Taiwan, China and the United States

15 Dec 2022 4 2

Tsai Ing-wen

Inserted 1 year ago

“I must shoulder all the responsibility. Faced with a result like this, there are many areas that we must deeply review. The results failed our expectations. We humbly accept the results and accept the Taiwanese people's decision. It's not like the DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] has never failed before. We don't have time to feel sorry. We fell, but we will stand up again.”

President of Taiwan

26 Nov 2022 2 2

Tsai Ing-wen

Inserted 1 year ago

“I want to tell everyone that the existence of Taiwan and Taiwanese people's insistence on freedom and democracy are not a provocation to anyone. As president, my calling is to make every effort to let Taiwan still be the Taiwan of the Taiwanese people.”

President of Taiwan

12 Nov 2022 4 3

Eric Chu

Inserted 1 year ago

“Safeguarding the Republic of China, protecting democracy and freedom, and maintaining cross-strait and regional peace are the three most important missions of the KMT.”

Taiwanese politician - Chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)

16 Oct 2022 4 3

Ross Feingold

Inserted 1 year ago

“The US has provided weaponry to Taiwan for many, many decades, but the timing of the new sale had political or public relations value coming amid heightened tensions between Taipei and Beijing. To be frank this sale is relatively small. The bulk of the sale is related to the maintenance of existing radar facilities. China is likely to respond, and has already started with statements. Beijing could also launch more incursions in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, start new military exercises, ban certain Taiwanese products from being imported to China, impose sanctions against US and Taiwanese government officials, or take action against US companies doing business in China. So China always has the options, of using any of those tools. It won't stop this particular weapons sale though.”

Asia political risk analyst based in Taipei

02 Sep 2022 2 3

Su Tseng-chang

Inserted 1 year ago

“They repeatedly ignored our warnings to leave and we had no choice but to exercise self-defence and shoot. This is the most appropriate reaction after repeated restraint and warnings. China should exercise restraint. We will never provoke, and we will do the most appropriate thing to protect our land and our people.”

Premier of Taiwan

02 Sep 2022 3 2

Tsai Ing-wen

Inserted 1 year ago

“Sixty-four years ago during the Aug. 23 battle, our soldiers and civilians operated in solidarity and safeguarded Taiwan, so that we have the democratic Taiwan today. That battle to protect our homeland showed the world that no threat of any kind could shake the Taiwanese people's resolve to defend their nation, not in the past, not now, and not in the future. We too will show the world that the people of Taiwan have both the resolve and confidence to safeguard peace, security, freedom and prosperity for ourselves. As Taiwan stands on the front line of authoritarian expansionism we continue to bolster our defence autonomy, and we will also continue to work with the United States on this front.”

President of Taiwan

23 Aug 2022 3 2

Tsai Ing-wen

Inserted 1 year ago

“Economic security is an important pillar of national and regional security. Taiwan is willing and able to strengthen cooperation with democratic partners in building sustainable supply chains for democracy chips. Building on our existing foundation of collaboration, I look forward to our supporting one another, and advancing hand in hand, forging closer relations and creating even deeper cooperation.”

President of Taiwan

22 Aug 2022 3 2

Sun Li-fang

Inserted 1 year ago

“We will seize this opportunity to test all the training we normally do, and through this improve our current methods and raise our combat effectiveness. The Republic of China's forces are confident, capable, and determined to defend the safety of the Republic of China.”

Taiwan's Defence ministry spokesperson

17 Aug 2022 2 3

Chen Fang-Yu

Inserted 1 year ago

“Although China now possesses ballistic missiles and aircraft carriers, which diminish Kinmen's strategic importance as a launching pad for any invasion of Taiwan, the island retains a symbolic significance. As tensions mount between China and Taiwan, the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] might end up in a situation where they need a tangible win in the Taiwan Strait but are not ready for an all-out assault on Taiwan. In that scenario, seizing the largely demilitarised outlying Taiwanese islands of Kinmen and Matsu could provide a symbolic victory for the CCP; akin to what Russia did with Crimea in 2014.”

Assistant professor at Soochow University in Taipei and studies the political relations between Taiwan, China and the United States

11 Aug 2022 5 2

Patrick Fok

Inserted 1 year ago

“China, in that white paper, has also reiterated calls for Taiwan to come back into the fold, if you like, under the 'one country, two systems' model. But you would have to imagine that there is very little appetite for that after what has happened in recent days, and because of the way that China has implemented the one China, two systems model in Hong Kong.”

Journalist reporting for Al Jazeera from Beijing

10 Aug 2022 2 3

Joseph Wu

Inserted 1 year ago

“China has used the drills and its military playbook to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan. After the drills conclude, China may try to routinise its action in an attempt to wreck the long-term status quo across the Taiwan Strait.”

Taiwan’s foreign minister

09 Aug 2022 1 2

Beatrice Tsai

Inserted 1 year ago

“We expect very little chance of China imposing stricter economic sanctions on Taiwanese businesses due to our highly reliant economic relations.”

Ministry’s chief statistician

09 Aug 2022 3 1

Nancy Pelosi

Inserted 1 year ago

“Sadly, Taiwan has been prevented from participating in global meetings, most recently the World Health Organization, because of objections by the Chinese Communist Party. While they may prevent Taiwan from sending its leaders to global forums, they cannot prevent world leaders or anyone from travelling to Taiwan to pay respect to its flourishing democracy, to highlight its many successes and to reaffirm our commitment to continued collaboration.”