MOFA response to false claims made by Chinese Foreign Ministry

January 16, 2025

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly refutes false comments made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that "Taiwan is a province of China" and "there is no such thing as 'president' or 'foreign ministry' of Taiwan" in response to a media question on Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung attending the inauguration of the president and vice president of Palau as special presidential envoy.

On January 16, Taiwan's diplomatic ally the Republic of Palau held the inauguration ceremony for its president and vice president. In response to sincere invitations from newly reelected President Surangel Whipps, Jr., Minister Lin led a delegation to Palau to offer heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the capacity of special presidential envoy. The visit demonstrated the solid diplomatic bond between the two countries.

As a third party that was not invited to the event, China resorted to making spurious claims. It took the opportunity to rehash false narratives about the "one China principle," allege that Taiwan's allies hoped to establish relations with China, and spread other disinformation. The comments were yet another attempt to employ cognitive warfare and information manipulation tactics to damage and divide relations between Taiwan and its allies. MOFA condemns these actions in the strongest possible terms.

MOFA solemnly reaffirms that the ROC (Taiwan) is a free and democratic country. Neither democratic Taiwan nor totalitarian China is subordinate to the other. This is a long-standing, objective, and internationally recognized fact. It is also the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has never been governed by the People's Republic of China, nor has it ever been part of the PRC. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan has the right to represent the Taiwanese people within the UN system and other international bodies. China has no say in this matter.

MOFA urges China to stop its reprehensible behavior of maliciously distorting the truth and ignoring history. Taiwan will continue to steadfastly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, strengthen cooperation with its diplomatic allies and other democratic partners, jointly deter authoritarian expansionism, staunchly defend peace and security across the Taiwan Strait, and maintain a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.