Security Interdependence: Taiwan’s Perspective on Ukraine and China

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu stated that the country’s security is linked to that of Ukraine, and that if the United States abandoned the Eastern European nation, this would strengthen China’s ambition to attack Taiwan.

Wu made these statements during an interview with Edward Wong for an article titled “Taiwan’s top diplomat says US aid to Ukraine is essential to deter China”, published by the US newspaper The New York Times.

Since the world is an interconnected entity, the United States should not stop providing aid to Ukraine, the minister said. If Russia occupies more Ukrainian territory, it would be seen as a victory for authoritarian states, since Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are linked as a bloc.

Strengthening the global presence of Taiwanese NGOs

According to Wu, the support of the American power to countries suffering authoritarian aggression such as Ukraine is of critical importance, and a cessation of shipments of its weapons to Ukraine would make China more aggressive towards Taiwan. He would also add substance to Beijing’s propaganda that the United States is an unreliable partner. If Ukraine is defeated, China will see it as weakness on the part of the United States and will assume that the North American country will renounce its support for Taiwan. Chinese officials would learn from Russia’s victory, which could result in a greater likelihood of a Chinese invasion, he added.

The Asian giant continues to spread disinformation to undermine the unity of democracies, the minister warned. To demonstrate this, he cited Beijing’s propaganda after US troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, as well as its commitment to Russian narratives about the war in Ukraine, including the concept that the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forced Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack.

Some Central and Eastern European countries seeking to forge anti-authoritarian partnerships have strengthened their relations with Taiwan during the Russia-Ukraine war.