Taiwan warns against war

Taiwan warns against war

Taiwan's defence minister Chiu Kuo-cheng has said that both China and Taiwan would pay a heavy price if Beijing tried to stage an invasion similar to Russia's, Qazet.az reports.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a Taiwanese parliament session to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr Chiu said that "if there's a war, to be frank, everyone will be miserable, even for the victors."

He added: "We are calmly watching developments and we are preparing accordingly."

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has renewed alarm in Taiwan that they could face a similar scenario.

Taiwan sees itself as an independent nation with its own government. But China has long regarded the island democracy as a breakaway province, and has vowed one day to reclaim it.

Last week, the phrase ‘Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow!” populated Taiwan’s social media. But Taiwan’s government has emphatically downplayed comparisons with Ukraine.