Date：April 19, 2018
MAC Press Release No. 29
Regarding Beijing's recent military intimidation near Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated today (April 19, 2018) that Taiwan will staunchly defend peace in the Taiwan Strait. The public may be rest assured that the government of the Republic of China has monitored and followed all related developments from beginning to end and duly and cautiously handled this affair. The MAC stressed that the people of Taiwan are well aware of and reject the Chinese authorities' deliberate attempts to provoke cross-Strait and regional tension by pressuring and harassing Taiwan. Our determination to defend the nation's sovereignty and dignity will never succumb to saber rattling or inducements.
The MAC indicated that, on April 18, the Mainland conducted routine small-scale military exercises off the coast of Fujian and intentionally raised the stakes by conducting military aircraft training around Taiwan. It has also manipulated public opinion to embellish its specific political intentions. The experience of cross-Strait interaction shows that this inexplicable approach of adding fuel to the fire fundamentally creates an impossible situation that is counterproductive, undermines peace in the Taiwan Strait, and betrays the expectations of the Taiwanese people for cross-Strait relations. It also makes an ultimate mockery of the alleged goal of "sharing the same mindset." We warn the Beijing authorities to abandon intimidation by force and face the reality of separate governance across the Taiwan Strait. Only then can the two sides resolve their differences through pragmatic communication and dialogue.