“Serious Mistake”: Taiwan criticises Bolivia for expressing concern for China after earthquake

Taipei [Taiwan] April 7 (ANI): Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs frowned on the Bolivian government’s expression of solidarity with China after the earthquake in Taiwan on Wednesday, calling it a ‘serious mistake’, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

In a statement, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns the Bolivian government that it was a serious mistake to express concern to China about the earthquake in Taiwan,” Taiwan News reported.

Wu accused China of taking advantage of the earthquake to carry out “cognitive warfare in the international community,” preventing nations from acknowledging Taiwan. He said Bolivia, just like Taiwan, is not part of China, according to Taiwan News report.

The Taiwanese ministry expressed regret that the Bolivian government failed to distinguish the appropriate country to express concern for. It called on Bolivia to not pay attention to China’s false statements.

It further said that the incident showed how China wants to politically manipulate Taiwan and that its authoritarian moves to exploit the earthquake and hold cognitive warfare demonstrate the nation does not have genuine goodwill.

The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is a sovereign nation and was never a part of China, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported. It further said that the government elected by 23.5 million people in Taiwan can represent the country on an international stage.

Taiwan’s ministry noted that more than 100 countries and international organisations have expressed concern and offered to assist Taiwan following the earthquake on Wednesday, according to CNA report.

In a post on X, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “You shouldn’t be the evil, expansionist #PRC’s pathetic puppet that jumps when #Beijing says jump. Just like #Taiwan, #Bolivia is NOT part of communist #China. No more, no less.”

The Taiwanese ministry’s statement came after the Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed solidarity with China “in the face of the loss of life and severe material damage caused by a large earthquake that occurred in recent hours off the coast of Taiwan.”

An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7:58 am (local time) on Wednesday, which claimed 13 lives, injured 1,133, and left six people missing as of 8 am (local time) on Sunday.

As of 8:12 a.m. Sunday, a total of 681 aftershocks had jolted Taiwan, including two exceeding a magnitude of 6, one of magnitude 6.5 and another 6.2 that struck at 8:11 am (local time) and 10:14 am (local time) on April 3.

A total of 24 aftershocks of magnitudes of 5 to 6 jolted Taiwan, CNA reported, citing the Central Weather Administration (CWA). Meanwhile, there were 208 earthquakes with magnitudes of 4 to 5.