The Australian
Date: June 18, 2018
By: Paul Maley, Defence and National Security Editor
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, has called for a strategic rebalancing among
“What we have been seeing is China expanding its influence and its power rapidly, not only in this region but across the globe,” said Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. Picture: AFP
Asia-Pacific democracies to counter the growing influence of China and urged Australia to conduct freedom-of-navigation exercises through the disputed South China Sea.
Mr Wu also called on Australia to back its own corporations, such as Qantas, in the face of growing economic intimidation from Beijing.
In an exclusive interview, he said the past five years had seen a dramatic shift in strategic power towards Beijing that meant no country in the region could hope to counter its expanding regional ambitions. What was needed, he said, was for “like-minded” countries, including Australia, to work in concert to check Beijing’s ambitions in the region.
“What we have been seeing is China expanding its influence and its power rapidly, not only in this region but across the globe,” Mr Wu said. “That is a new strategic situation we have to face. China’s economic power is so overwhelming for many countries in this region now.” [FULL STORY]
