Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu granted an interview to FRANCE 24 from Taipei. He warned that the threat from China was "very serious" and that Taiwan needs to "be prepared" for possible Chinese military action, "whether it is an all-out invasion or a small skirmish with our military."
Joseph Wu told FRANCE 24 that the military threat from China against Taiwan was not just rhetoric. He noted that Beijing had beefed up its military and was openly talking about "invading" Taiwan. In response, he said, Taiwan has acquired new weaponry and is ramping up its preparations for possible Chinese military action.
The Taiwanese FM said he expected that the US would assist Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion, but stressed that Taiwan needed to be ready to defend itself on its own. He insisted that China "cannot" be trusted when it claims Taiwan would be ruled under the "one country, two systems" model, pointing to the crackdown in recent years in Hong Kong.
Finally, Wu welcomed the opening of a de facto embassy in Lithuania bearing the name "Taiwan" instead of the usual "Taipei" as a symbol of the change of perception taking place in Western capitals vis-à-vis Beijing. He said he hoped that other Western countries would "understand" the move.
