Taiwan not to give up ‘free life under pressure’: President | Freedom Issues

Lai says Taiwan will not start a conflict with China, but it will not give up its dignity or democratic values.

Taiwan’s president says the island will not be forced to give up its democracy and sovereignty, days after the self-governing territory was one of the talks between China and the US.

“Taiwan will not start or escalate conflicts, nor will it give up sovereignty and national dignity, or its democratic life and freedom, under pressure,” William Lai Ching-te wrote on Saturday’s TV.

“Taiwan is always in charge of the situation in the Taiwan Strait, not a reformist party,” he said, adding that China is “the cause of regional instability”.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has pledged to reunify it firmly if necessary.

The message followed US President Donald Trump telling Fox News on Friday that he “doesn’t want anyone to be independent”, referring to Taiwan.

The interview followed Trump’s meeting earlier this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where tensions were high between the governments of Taiwan and Beijing it has been great.

According to comments published by Chinese media, Xi said the Taiwan issue is “a very important issue in China-US relations”.

“If it doesn’t go well, the two countries may collide or clash, putting the whole relationship between China and the US in serious danger,” Xi said.

The issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty has been a hotly contested one, dating back to the Chinese Civil War in the 1940s.

Although the US does not support Taiwan’s claims of independence, successive leaders have supported the island through arms sales and comments, implying that the US could defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China.

Recounting his exchange with the Chinese leader to reporters on Air Force One, Trump he said Xi “feels very strongly” about opposing Taiwan independence.

Trump added that he “hasn’t made any kind of commitment” on the matter. The US president also said that he has not yet decided whether to sign a new $11bn package for Taiwan, which has already been approved by the US Congress.

“I haven’t accepted it yet. We’ll see what happens,” Trump told Fox News. “I can do it.”

In his speech on Sunday, Taiwan’s president emphasized that Taiwan-US defense cooperation and arms sales are “very important factors” in maintaining regional stability.

“This is not only a commitment to US security in Taiwan, but also an important deterrent to disrupting peace and stability,” Lai said.