Taiwan says it doesn’t want to close doors with China, but calls for a level playing field

Taiwan does not want to close its doors to China and is willing to engage willingly, but on equal terms and without political bias, Prime Minister Su Tseng-chang said on Sunday.

Relations between Taipei and Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, are at the lowest level in decades, with China increasing political and military pressure on the island to accept its sovereignty.

Earlier on Sunday, at a security forum in Singapore, China’s defense minister said the Chinese government was seeking “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan but reserved “other options”.

Speaking to reporters after China banned the import of grouper from Taiwan on security grounds, a move Taipei called politically motivated, Su said Taiwan has always had goodwill toward China.

“As long as there is equality, reciprocity and no political preconditions, we are willing to engage in goodwill with China,” he said, reiterating a position that President Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly made in public.

“As for China’s harassment of Taiwan with military aircraft, warships, irrational repression and political actions, the most irrational is China,” he added.

“Taiwan does not want to close the door on China. It is China that has used various means to oppress and treat Taiwan irrationally.”

China has refused to speak to Tsai since she was first elected in 2016, viewing her as a separatist who refused to accept that China and Taiwan are part of “one China”.

Tsai says only the people of Taiwan can decide their future, and while they want peace with China, they will defend themselves if attacked.

The people of Taiwan, who live in one of the freest and most liberal democracies in Asia, have shown no interest in being ruled by autocratic China.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by William Mallard)