Taiwan must rely on itself for its security. This was stated by the country's Foreign Ministry in response to US President Donald Trump's words that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him that he would not invade the island while Trump is in power, reports "Reuters".
In the past five years, Taiwan has faced increased military and political pressure from China, which considers the separately governed island as its "sacred" territory. Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
When asked about Trump's remarks, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Xiao Kuang-wei said the government had closely monitored interactions between senior US and Chinese officials.
"Taiwan's security must be achieved through its own efforts, so our country is dedicated to enhancing its self-defense capabilities and resilience. Our country will continue to work hard to do so," Xiao said.
The United States is Taiwan's most important international supporter and arms supplier, although it does not have formal diplomatic relations with it. They also do not have a defense treaty, so in the event of an attack by China, Washington is not obligated to provide assistance.
The United States, which is legally obligated to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, has long adhered to a policy of "strategic ambiguity", not specifying whether it would respond militarily to a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
Trump made the comments about the invasion in an interview with "Fox News" before talks in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Yesterday, China's foreign ministry said that Taiwan was an internal matter that the Chinese people should resolve.