China prone to ramp up diplomatic ‘assaults’ on Taiwan, island’s international minister says By Reuters

TAIPEI (Reuters) – China is prone to ramp up its diplomatic “assaults” on Taiwan following final week’s twice-a-decade congress, together with snatching extra of the island’s few remaining diplomatic allies, Taiwan’s international minister stated on Wednesday.

China’s ruling Communist Celebration wrapped up its congress on Saturday, cementing Chinese language President Xi Jinping’s grip on energy.

In a report back to parliament, Taiwan’s international minister Joseph Wu stated he anticipated Beijing to ramp up its “safety menace and diplomatic suppression” on the island, which is claimed by China as its personal territory regardless of sturdy objections by Taiwan.

“China is prone to enhance its assaults and threats o Taiwan, particularly within the diplomatic area,” Wu advised lawmakers. “That is what we’re nervous about.”

Wu stated Taiwan has acquired “indicators” and intelligence from unspecified diplomatic allies that China was boosting efforts to lure the island’s allies into switching official recognition to Beijing.

“The diplomatic challenges we face are getting greater and larger,” he stated. “Wanting ahead our state of affairs is changing into harder.”

Underneath Wu’s time period, six nations have switched official recognition from Taipei to Beijing, which says Taiwan has no proper to state-to-state ties.

Solely 14 nations now formally recognise the island’s authorities, principally poor and growing nations within the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Beijing and Taipei have accused one another of utilizing “greenback diplomacy” to lure nations into constructing official ties with them.

China has stepped up diplomatic and army strain to attempt to pressure Taiwan to just accept Chinese language rule. Taiwan’s authorities says solely the island’s 23 million individuals can determine their future, and that as Taiwan has by no means been dominated by the Folks’s Republic of China its sovereignty claims are void.