In an exclusive interview with Daily Reuters Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, stated that China’s increasing military intimidation of Taiwan is a sign that Taiwan “needs” to prepare for a potential military conflict.

The warning was issued one week after the island reported a large daily incursion by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan’s declared Air Defense Identification Zone.

Although the incursion by 28 Chinese warplanes, including fighter jets and bombers, did not violate Taiwanese sovereignty airspace or international laws, it was viewed as a show of strength by China’s People’s Liberation Army.

Wu stated Wednesday that Taiwan decision-makers cannot take chances and must be prepared for any eventualities.“When the Chinese government says they won’t renounce using force, they conduct military exercises in Taiwan would prefer to believe it is real.”

Beijing accused Wu of being a “diehard separatist” in May after he said that Taiwan would fight to the “very last day” if China attacked it. Wu has been serving as minister of foreign affairs ever since 2018.

Zhu Fenglian spokeswoman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office. She stated that “Stopping Taiwan’s independence” is a necessary condition to maintain peaceful cross-strait relations. “Joseph Wu repeatedly and arrogantly provoked ‘Taiwan Independence’… We will take all necessary steps to severely punish such apathetic ‘Taiwan Independence’-ers for their lives by the law.”

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We responded to Daily Reuters by saying that he was honored to be targeted in Beijing by Communist authorities. We stated that authoritarianism can’t tolerate truth. He said that if they keep saying that they want me to follow them for the rest of my life, then I don’t really care about that.”