JAKARTA - Taiwan is 'not Ukraine' and has always been an inseparable part of China, China's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, as Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen called on the island to increase vigilance against military activities in response to the crisis.
The comments came after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson flagged the risks for Taiwan in a warning last week of the damaging world consequences if Western countries fail to live up to their pledges to support Ukraine's independence.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has stepped up military activity near the self-governing island over the past two years. Although, Taiwan has reported no recent unusual maneuvers by Chinese forces as tensions over Ukraine have escalated.
Speaking in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying rejected any connection between the Ukraine and Taiwan issues.
"Taiwan is not Ukraine," he said.
"Taiwan has always been an inseparable part of China. This is an undeniable legal and historical fact," he continued.
The Taiwan issue is one that remains from the civil war, but China's integrity should never be compromised and never be compromised, Hua added.
It is known, the Government of the Republic of China fled to Taiwan in 1949, after losing the civil war to the Communists, who founded the People's Republic of China.
The Taiwanese government strongly opposes China's territorial claims. President Tsai said Taiwan is an independent country called the Republic of China, which remains Taiwan's official name.
All security and military units "should increase surveillance and early warning on military developments around the Taiwan Strait," President Tsai told a meeting of the working group on the Ukraine crisis, set up by her National Security Council.
Taiwan and Ukraine are fundamentally different in terms of geostrategy, geography, and international supply chains, he added, in meeting details provided by his office.
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"But in the face of foreign forces who intend to manipulate the situation in Ukraine and affect the morale of the Taiwanese people, all government units should strengthen the deterrence of cognitive warfare launched by foreign forces and local collaborators," President Tsai was quoted as saying.
The statement did not name China, but it is the most significant military threat facing Taiwan.
To note, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has expressed 'empathy' for the Ukraine situation, due to the military threat facing the island from China.
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