Taiwan’s fall to China would have “catastrophic” consequences for Asian peace, President Tsai Ing-wen wrote in a piece published on Tuesday in Foreign Affairs, and if threatened, Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself.
According to the Foreign Affairs piece, Taiwan has warned of “catastrophic consequences for regional peace” if China takes over the island after days of incursions by Beijing’s warplanes.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen vowed to “do whatever it takes” to guard Taiwan against invasion as she indicated that without help from the country’s allies “authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy.”
Since Friday, nearly 150 Chinese warplanes have violated Taiwan’s air defense zone, including 56 jets on Monday in a dramatic increase in aggression.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has described the seizure of the self-governed democracy as “inevitable” and Beijing has ratcheted up pressure on Tsai since she was elected in 2016 on a mandate of an “independent” Taiwan, the report said.
In recent days, Chinese state media has issued chilling warnings, including one asking “whether Australia is willing to accompany Taiwan… to become cannon fodder” after its foreign minister sought assistance in preparing his defences.
Australia has been the target of Chinese ire in recent weeks, following the signing of a new security treaty with the United Kingdom and the United States.
Washington and London agreed to share nuclear submarine technology with Canberra as part of the agreement.
This has enraged Beijing because it will significantly alter the power balance in the South China Sea.
In an article published on Tuesday, Taiwan’s president Tsai said: “They should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system.”
“It would signal that in today’s global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy.”
