Australia urged to back Taiwan in China brawl

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister has conceded the territory may need military support in the event of a conflict with China.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says that in the event of conflict with China ‘any kind of help is going to be treasured’. Picture: Getty Images

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister has conceded the territory may need military support in the event of a conflict with China and argued that Beijing had been planning “an invasion of Taiwan for a longtime”.

Joseph Wu said that Taipei would never ask Australia, or any country, to “come to war for Taiwan” because “defending Taiwan is our responsibility”. However, he conceded that “any kind of help is going to be treasured” and urged Australia to speak out in defence of Taiwan and uphold the “importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.

Asked if Taiwan would need help if war erupted, he replied: “We might.”

The comments were made in an interview with Sky News host Peter Stefanovic for the two-part China Rising program to be aired this Tuesday and Wednesday, with Mr Wu saying that Beijing’s expansionism meant the future of democracy was “going to be in danger”.

“If Taiwan unfortunately has to be taken by the Chinese government, I think the Chinese government will continue to advance,” he said. “I think no one can be immune from the Chinese threat or pressure. And therefore, it is very important for the like-minded partners of the international community to come together, to support each other.”

The program will air just days after Defence Minister Peter Dutton told The Weekend Australian it was “inconceivable” that Australia, as an alliance partner of the US, would not join in a military action if America committed forces to defend the territory against a Chinese ­invasion.

“It would be inconceivable that we wouldn’t support the US in an action (in Taiwan) if the US chose to take that action,” Mr Dutton said. “And, again, I think we should be very frank and honest about that, look at all of the facts and circumstances without pre-committing, and maybe there are circumstances where we wouldn’t take up that option, (but) I can’t conceive of those ­circumstances.”

The comments from Mr Dutton drew a fierce rebuke from the editor-in-chief of China’s Global Times, Hu Xijin, who tweeted that Beijing would retaliate against Australia and attack its military facilities if Canberra involved itself in a war over Taiwan.

“If Australian troops come to fight in the Taiwan Straits, it is unimaginable that China won’t carry out a heavy attack on them and the Australian military facilities that support them,” he said. “So Australia (had) better be prepared to sacrifice for Taiwan ­island and the US.”

The discussion over the fate of Taiwan also comes ahead of a virtual summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping after the US President last month appeared to break with the long standing policy of American strategic ambiguity over the Taiwan Strait in a CNN hosted forum.

Responding to a question about whether America would come to Taiwan’s defence if attacked by China, Mr Biden said: “Yes. We have that commitment.” The White House later clarified there had been no change in policy.

Former prime minister Paul Keating told the National Press Club in Canberra last week that Taiwan was “not a vital Australian interest”. He said it was not recognised as “a sovereign state” and Australia should not be drawn into a conflict over the ­island.

But Mr Wu said that, while Australia and Taiwan had no formal diplomatic relations, “we have been able to speak with each other on all kinds of issues”.

“You have a representative office over here in Taiwan and we treat it like a real embassy,” he said. “And the representative from Australia is being regarded as the de facto ambassador over here and she has been recognised.

“We also have an office in Canberra and our office has also been recognised and respected ... And I would like to say that is because we share the same interest, and we share the same values.”

Mr Wu also sounded the alarm on Chinese aggression after Beijing last month made a record number of air incursions near the island territory. He said Taiwan believed the Chinese government had been “planning for an invasion of Taiwan for a long time”.

“They also conducted endless cyber-attacks against Taiwan and ... set up their proxies domestically here,” Mr Wu said.

He said Taipei was developing its ability to wage asymmetric warfare so that “China understands that they won’t be able to take Taiwan over ... in a very short period.”