Taipei [Taiwan] November 3 (ANI): In a firm stand against China's growing diplomatic aggression, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Sunday reaffirmed that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation, not subordinate to China.

The statement followed China's protest against a brief but symbolic meeting between Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and Taiwan's APEC envoy Lin Hsin-I, as reported by Taiwan News.

MOFA strongly condemned Beijing's baseless claims over Taiwan, emphasising that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has never governed the island. The ministry described this as an undeniable reality widely recognised by the international community. It criticised China's misuse of its so-called 'one China' principle to interfere in routine diplomatic interactions between Taiwan and Japan, stating that such behaviour violates APEC's founding principle of equality among members.

'As a formal member of APEC, it is natural for Taiwan to engage and interact with other member economies through both multilateral and bilateral occasions during the summit,' MOFA said, according to Taiwan News.

During their meeting on Saturday, Prime Minister Sanae reiterated Japan's commitment to ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. She also expressed hope for expanding practical cooperation with Taiwan and voiced support for the island's meaningful participation in international organisations, a move that further highlights Tokyo's defiance of Beijing's pressure tactics.

MOFA stated that as a formal member of APEC, Taiwan has every right to engage and communicate with other member economies, both in bilateral and multilateral settings. Such interactions, it added, reflect Taiwan's active and legitimate role in global affairs, which no amount of Chinese intimidation can undermine.

The ministry also highlighted that Taiwan and Japan share common democratic values, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. It pledged that Taiwan would continue to strengthen its strategic partnership with Japan while jointly promoting peace, stability, and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific region, as cited by Taiwan News.

Taiwan's latest assertion comes as China intensifies its campaign to isolate the island diplomatically. Yet, the firm response from Taiwan backed by Tokyo's open engagement once again exposes the hollowness of Beijing's territorial claims and its attempts to bully a democratic and self-governed Taiwan into submission, as reported by Taiwan News. (ANI)