Taiwan's Foreign Minister Jaushieh Wu / Courtesy of Taipei Mission in Korea

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Jaushieh Wu has urged the international community, including Korea, to pay close attention to tensions across the Taiwan Strait, highlighting that China's ambitions should not be taken lightly.

"China's military expansion poses a serious long-term threat to nations in the region, including the Republic of Korea. Taiwan stands on the front lines of democracy against authoritarianism," he said in a joint written interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo.

"We look for the support of our democratic partners in the collective fight against the authoritarian threat in order to maintain peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region."

The minister stressed that China's ever-growing military presence is ratcheting up tensions across the strait, as evidenced by Beijing's 40-fold increase in its military budget over the past three decades.

Today, China boasts the world's largest armed forces, with its military budget ranked as the second-highest globally. Since President Xi Jinping's rise to power in 2013, China's ambitions have expanded dramatically, leading to growing tensions across the strait.

He pointed out that in recent years, China's approach to Taiwan encompasses a multifaceted strategy, from diplomatic isolation and economic coercion to gray-zone warfare, disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks.

He added that China has enhanced its military threat against Taiwan, routinely sending planes and ships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait or into Taiwan's air defense identification zone.

"It is clear that China is seeking to transform the Taiwan Strait into its internal waters and preparing for an invasion of Taiwan," Wu said.

Korea-Taiwan ties

The minister also highlighted the strategic cooperative partnership between Korea and Taiwan.

Their bilateral economic relations are deeply intertwined, with both nations ranking as each other's fifth-largest trading partners. The two nations' vital roles in the global semiconductor manufacturing sector highlight the high degree of complementarity in their economies.

While Korea has negotiated economic agreements with its top trading partners, Taiwan remains a missing link in these economic agreements.

"Korea has inked an economic agreement or engaged in related negotiations with all of its top 10 trading partners except Taiwan. We hope that the Taiwan-Korea Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income (ADTA) will soon enter into effect," the minister said.

The minister also expressed his will to make progress on a Taiwan-Korea bilateral investment agreement (BIA) and explore the potential of an economic cooperation agreement (ECA) and a customs mutual assistance agreement.

Beyond economic ties, Korea and Taiwan have seen immense growth in cultural exchanges and tourism.

He said that the two countries saw record numbers of two-way visitors, with both nations ranking as each other's third-largest source of visitors.

In 2019, a record was set of 2.45 million two-way visitors, or over 1.24 million Korean visitors to Taiwan and 1.20 million Taiwanese visitors to Korea. Notably, the cultural landscape has been enriched through the success of TV series, films and shared cultural elements.

"Based on our friendship and close people-to-people exchanges, I hope that the Korean government will continue to deepen bilateral cooperation in such areas as the economy, trade and security, and speak out for Taiwan on the global stage. This will further enhance bilateral relations," Wu said.