Taiwan rejects Beijing's criticism of top diplomat's Europe trip

Taipei, Sept. 13 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Friday rejected Beijing's criticism of Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung's (林佳龍) ongoing visit to Europe, saying China had no right to interfere in the country's international engagement.

MOFA said in a statement that Lin's current visit to Europe aimed to promote the government-initiated "Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025" campaign and engage in normal exchanges with "European friends."

China "has no right to interfere in other countries' sovereign decisions," MOFA said, adding that Taiwan would continue to strengthen cooperation with democratic partners around the world based on shared values of freedom, democracy and human rights.

Lin began his trip to Europe on Sept. 10, which is expected to span more than 10 days, starting in Prague, the Czech Republic, but MOFA has declined to disclose what other countries he plans to visit.

In the statement, MOFA rejected any attempts to intimidate Taiwan's international participation and urged Beijing to stop exerting pressure on Taiwan and the international community.

MOFA's statement was in response to Beijing's criticism of Lin's trip earlier on Friday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Beijing, Lin Jian (林劍), a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Chinese government had logged stern representations with related countries, without elaborating.

Beijing consistently opposes any official interactions between Taiwan and countries it has diplomatic relations, Lin said, adding that China called on the European countries to "take immediate and effective measures to prevent Taiwan independence forces from making visits."

Lin's trip comes as China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) also began a European tour on Friday with stops in Austria, Slovenia and Poland scheduled during his four-day visit.