MOFA bashes Russian leader's comments on Taiwan

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Saturday criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent comments that Taiwan was provoking China, saying they were a "distortion."

In a press release, MOFA said Putin's remarks regarding Taiwan during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Russian city of Sochi on Thursday (local time) were "a complete distortion of the truth."

Taiwan "strongly condemns" the Russian leader for comments that "disparage Taiwan as part of China" and "misrepresent Taiwan's sovereign status," MOFA said.

The Republic of China (Taiwan's official name) and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and the Chinese Communist Party has never ruled Taiwan, the ministry added.

MOFA was responding to Putin's comments that echoed Beijing's territorial claims over Taiwan and accusations that Taiwan was stirring up a Ukraine-style crisis in Asia in order to attract outside support, according to Reuters' report.

The ministry said democratic nations around the world had responded to Russia's invasion of Ukraine with condemnation and punitive measures as a show of support for Ukrainians' fight for their survival and sovereignty, as well as a joint defense of universal values.

MOFA added that Taiwan, faced with military threats from China, has steadfastly worked to protect its own survival and sovereignty and served on the front line of safeguarding democracy and freedom in the Indo-Pacific region.

Officials from Russia, which has reaffirmed its "comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation" with China in May, has on more than one occasion publicly advocated Beijing's claims over Taiwan.