Taiwan has slammed comments from Vladimir Putin supporting China's territorial claims.
In a statement that drew immediate backlash, the Russian president on March 18 endorsed China's claims over Taiwan, which Taiwan has vehemently opposed. China says Taiwan is part of its territory, but the Chinese Communist Party has never directly ruled the island nation in its seven-decade history.
"Those attempts made by unfriendly countries towards China first of all they have to do with the attempts to make all kinds of provocations around Taiwan which is an inherent part of the People's Republic of China," Putin said, during a press conference following Russia's presidential elections.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) immediately hit back, telling Taiwan News on Monday it is a "sovereign and independent country and is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China. This has been a long-standing fact and the status quo recognized by the international community for many years."
The scrutiny of Putin's comments comes as China and Russia have witnessed a convergence in their geostrategic interests following the initiation of the Russia-Ukraine war. Though Beijing hasn't officially backed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China has extended economic assistance to the Kremlin's war efforts.
On Monday, Putin accepted victory in Russia's presidential elections after the country's election commission declared him the winner.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping congratulated Putin on Monday for the election victory.
During the press briefing following the election, in which Putin secured an overwhelming 88% of the vote for another six-year term, he addressed various topics, including the dynamics of Russia-China relations and their trajectory in his upcoming term. The Russian elections were widely criticized as neither free nor fair.
Newsweek contacted the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for comment.
Putin praised China's rapid economic growth and its shift towards innovation, highlighting the nation's global influence and its multitude of international alliances. He condemned sanctions imposed on China by Western nations, framing them as efforts to impede China's progress that are destined to fail.
A spokesperson for Taiwan's MOFA pointed out that Taiwan operates under a genuinely democratic system, evidenced by the fair and transparent presidential and vice-presidential elections held on January 13, 2024.
The successful elections underscore Taiwan's sovereignty and its established democratic processes, MOFA said, according to Taiwan News.
Taiwan's foreign minister, Joseph Wu, also called out Putin's remarks on Taiwan.
"What does he know about #Taiwan? #Putin also calls #Russia's recent propaganda campaign & manipulation of public opinion an "election," & violently robs #Ukraine of its territory. He's a huge threat to democracy, 2nd only to the #PRC," he said on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
