Veterans Affairs Council (VAC) deputy chief Lee Wen-chung (???) has called on the United States to maintain its ongoing support for Taiwan amid rising cross-Taiwan Strait tensions.
Addressing the American Legion’s 103rd National Convention held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, Lee said tensions between Taiwan and China have recently hit their highest level in decades after China responded to a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in early August with military drills around Taiwan.
He described Beijing’s military coercions as “barbaric and unreasonable,” and “something the United States and all democratic countries could never accept,” according to a statement by the VAC on Wednesday.
Lee called on the world not to appease Chinese leader Xi Jinping (???), arguing that history has shown that appeasement only led to the rise of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler and Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The deputy minister said that like Ukraine, Taiwan will fight for its own freedom and democracy but it cannot do it alone, and he asked members of the American Legion to continue to push Washington to stand with Taipei.
Lee attended the annual event held under his official title of vice minister of the VAC of the Republic of China, the official name of Taiwan.
The American Legion, one of the biggest veteran associations in America, was chartered by Congress in 1919, and its membership is now nearly 2 million in more than 13,000 posts worldwide.
Taiwan sends VAC officials to the yearly convention, and President Tsai Ing-wen (???) made a pre-recorded address at its 2019 convention.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel