China likely to ramp up 'attacks': Taiwan FM
STORY: China's ruling Communist Party wrapped up its congress on Saturday, cementing Chinese President Xi Jinping's grip on power.
In a report to parliament, Joseph Wu said Taiwan has received "signs" and intelligence from unspecified diplomatic allies that China was boosting efforts to lure the island's allies into switching official recognition to Beijing.
“China’s tactic of blocking us on the international stage will likely not change, any changes will only be for the worse. Regarding all those situations, we will keep monitoring and make the best possible preparations,” he told reporters after responding to lawmaker questions in parliament.
Under Wu's term, six countries have switched official recognition from Taipei to Beijing, which says Taiwan has no right to state-to-state ties.
Only 14 countries now officially recognize the island's government, mostly poor and developing countries in the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Beijing and Taipei have accused each other of using "dollar diplomacy" to lure countries into building official ties with them.
China has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure to try to force Taiwan to accept Chinese rule.
Taiwan's government says only the island's 23 million people can decide their future, and that as Taiwan has never been ruled by the People's Republic of China its sovereignty claims are void.
