High ranking officials from fifty-one countries have stood up in support of Taiwan in response to China's threatening military drills. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said on Thursday these supporters believe China has no reason to use scare tactics and its behavior only builds tension in the region.
China began a wave of military exercises last week in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and maintains it will use force to take the country if necessary. Beijing condemned the trip as dangerous and said undermining its sovereignty over Taiwan would have severe consequences.
Ou adds that over 470 members of international legislatures have criticized China's aggressive response. China's military drills ended on Wednesday, but Beijing released a white paper that same day laying out its plan to unify with Taiwan.
Taiwan's foreign ministry says it's grateful for the global support. It adds that only the people of Taiwan, and not China's autocracy, have the right to decide their own country's future.