Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) held a pre-election day briefing for international journalists on Tuesday. The Foreign Ministry says there are currently about 400 journalists from 150 media outlets across 30 countries that have applied for media accreditation. 

The ministry on Wednesday said that during the briefing, Wu provided an analysis of China’s attempts to interfere in Taiwan’s presidential elections. Wu says that China continues to use military threats, political propaganda, economic incentives and coercion, disinformation campaigns, and other strategies to manipulate public opinion. Wu says China is trying to frame this election as a choice between war or peace, and prosperity or failure.   

Wu says Taiwan has always maintained an open attitude toward cross-strait relations and is willing to engage in peaceful dialogue with China, provided there are no political preconditions. Unfortunately, says Wu, China is uncompromising in its stance and continues to use gray-zone tactics to intimidate Taiwan.

Wu says that regardless of the election results, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the consensus both in Taiwan and of the international community. He adds that Taiwan will maintain the status quo in a moderate and responsible manner, strengthen its self-defense capabilities, and work with like-minded democratic countries to preserve peace in the region.