Truss urges govt to supply defensive weapons to Taiwan

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China warned about the danger of sending the “wrong signal” to Taiwanese “separatists,” as it accused the US of interference…reports Asian Lite News

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Wednesday suggested supplying defensive weaponry to Taiwan to counter China’s aggression well in advance to prevent a Ukraine war-like scenario. She renewed her calls for NATO to “make clear to China” that invading Taiwan like Russia invaded Ukraine would be “a catastrophic miscalculation” in Asia.

She suggested that the Alliance must boost security in the Indo-Pacific region in order to protect Taiwan against China well in advance. She had also earlier echoed similar statements during a speech on the UK’s foreign policy conference, asserting that Britain rejects “the false choice between Euro-Atlantic security and Indo-Pacific security” in favour of “a global NATO.”

Truss’ suggestion comes as China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian reiterated Beijing’s concerns about US intervention in Taiwan, a threat to its ‘one China’ policy and urged that it ceases all official interaction with the self-administered island nation. China warned about the danger of sending the “wrong signal” to Taiwanese “separatists,” as it accused the US of interference.

Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had warned of a Ukraine-like invasion in East Asia, saying that the whole region could witness a stability issue due to rising military might of China, Russia’s ally. The Taiwan Strait must be maintained, Kishida said, adding that the countries in East Asia must respond as “one” and remain united in the face of the rising belligerence.

Speaking earlier in London via a translator Kishida said, “Collaboration among countries sharing universal values becomes ever more vital.” We must collaborate with our allies and like-minded countries, and never tolerate a unilateral attempt to change the status quo by the use of force in the Indo Pacific, especially in East Asia,” said the Japanese Prime Minister. “Ukraine may be East Asia tomorrow,” he warned.

His remarks came as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi challenged the United States for interfering in the Taiwan issue, and warned against bolstering ties with the island nation. Yi accused US President Joe Biden of trying to “establish a new version of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the Indo-Pacific region.”

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