r/Thailand • u/Muted-Airline-8214 • 9h ago
Politics Taiwan Expresses Disappointment with Thailand Over Joint Statement, Rejects Sovereignty Claims
22 July 2026 - Radio Taiwan International, citing information published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, reported that on 18 July 2026, following a meeting in China between Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the two sides issued a "Joint Statement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on Advancing the China-Thailand Community with a Shared Future for Common Prosperity."
According to the report, the statement claimed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, expressed support for China's peaceful national reunification efforts, stated that Thailand would not support any calls for Taiwan's independence, and further indicated that Thailand would support China's "One Country, Two Systems" policy.
On the afternoon of 21 July 2026, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Republic of China) issued a statement arguing that the wording of the joint statement seriously distorted the facts. The ministry strongly protested and condemned the Chinese government for repeatedly issuing what it described as false statements that undermine Taiwan's sovereignty. It also expressed disappointment and regret over the actions of the Thai government, accusing it of disregarding the facts and yielding to China's efforts to diminish Taiwan's sovereignty.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign, independent state and is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China. It stressed that Taiwan would not accept China's repeated use of bilateral statements to spread what it considers false information in an attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo through information and influence campaigns.
The ministry added that Taiwan and Thailand have long maintained close ties in trade and people-to-people exchanges. It therefore called on Thailand to value the longstanding friendship between the two sides and refrain from cooperating with China in its continued pressure on Taiwan. Otherwise, it warned, Thailand could itself become one of the countries affected by China's actions that undermine peace and stability in the region.
