China Is the Real Threat, Taiwan Says in Rebuff to Munich Speech

Taiwan has said that China poses the “real threat” to regional and global security, pushing back against remarks made during a recent speech at the Munich Security Conference.

China considers democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. However, Taiwan’s government firmly rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, maintaining that only the people of Taiwan have the right to decide their own future.

Taiwanese officials said attempts to frame tensions as being caused by external forces ignore what they described as growing military pressure and coercion from Beijing. Over the past several years, China has intensified military drills and air and naval operations near Taiwan, raising concerns in Taipei and among its international partners.

The response comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, where security issues surrounding Taiwan have increasingly drawn global attention. The Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering of world leaders and defense officials, often serves as a platform for major policy statements and diplomatic exchanges.

Taiwan reiterated its commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait but emphasized that deterrence and international support remain essential. It also called on the global community to recognize what it described as China’s assertive actions as the primary source of instability in the region.

Beijing, meanwhile, continues to assert that Taiwan is an internal matter and has warned foreign governments against interference, describing any support for Taiwan as a violation of its sovereignty.

The issue of Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive flashpoints in global geopolitics, with potential implications for regional security and international relations.