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Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu held a video conference from Taipei City with Ansis Ivans, a reporter for the prominent Latvian news organization Delfi.lv for an article published online Aug. 25, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The minister said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine not only has impacted neighboring countries but has also resulted in global energy, hunger and economic crises. As a country facing a larger, authoritarian neighbor, Taiwan feels a strong connection to Ukraine and will continue to assist it in rebuilding, he said, adding that Taiwan is glad to strengthen links with Baltic nations like Latvia and work with them to aid refugees affected by the war.

Wu said that cooperation among authoritarian countries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea is on the rise. He added that China’s ambitions do not stop at Taiwan, but in fact stretch into Africa, the Indian Ocean and beyond.

The minister emphasized that half of the world’s cargo passes through the Taiwan Strait and 90 percent of global advanced semiconductor chips are produced in Taiwan. On a purely economic level, an invasion of Taiwan would lead to supply chain disaster, and Wu expressed gratitude for countries who have objected to Beijing’s unilateral changes to the status quo.

Speaking on Taiwan-Latvia ties, the minister commented on the vast potential for collaboration in politics, economy, society and travel that is now being tapped thanks in part to the Taipei Mission in the Republic of Latvia. He added that recent years have seen the development of a deeper bond between Taiwan and Lithuania, and it is hoped that efforts to cultivate closer ties with Latvia will be equally successful. (POC-E)

Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw

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