TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) criticized Taiwan's People Party (TPP) vice-presidential candidate Cynthia Wu on Saturday (Dec. 16) for disregarding the ministry's risk assessment and participating in the COP28 climate conference, expressing "puzzlement" and "regret" over her failure to denounce China publicly while questioning MOFA's tactics internally.
In a nearly 900-word statement, the ministry clarified that the constraints faced by the Legislative Yuan's supervisory delegation at COP28 were primarily due to Wu's status as a "vice-presidential candidate," and claimed that it had explained the potential increased risk of suppression to her.
The ministry pointed out that Wu's controversial participation provided an opportunity for China to exert pressure, potentially hindering the delegation's attendance and damaging Taiwan's future chances of participating in such events.
Responding to Wu's questioning of MOFA's alleged instructions for legislators to keep a low profile and remain silent, the ministry emphasized that no such requests were made. They argued that maintaining a low profile is conducive to Taiwan's interests when participating in international activities.