Taiwan will not be afraid nor back down in the face of authoritarian threats, the island's vice president told supporters on a U.S. visit that Beijing has condemned, while reiterating a willingness to talk to China.
William Lai, also frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president at January elections, is in the United States on what is officially a transit stop on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its new president. Paraguay is one of only 13 countries to maintain formal ties with the Chinese-claimed island.
Taiwan and the United States both say the stopovers, including one in San Francisco on the way back, are routine, but China has denounced them and called Lai a separatist "troublemaker".
Lai told a supporters lunch in New York on Sunday that "if Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, if the Taiwan Strait is peaceful, then the world is peaceful", according to Taiwan's presidential office.
"No matter how great the threat of authoritarianism is to Taiwan, we absolutely will not be scared nor cower, we will uphold the values of democracy and freedom," he said.
China has a particular dislike of Lai, who has previously described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence", a red line for Beijing which has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.
Lai, who has pledged to maintain peace and the status quo, reiterated in New York that on the basic of dignity and parity he was "very willing" to talk to China and seek peace and stability.
But Lai said he will protect Taiwan's sovereignty, that only Taiwan's people can decide their future and that the Republic of China - Taiwan's formal name - and the People's Republic of China are "not subordinate to each other".
Both Taipei and Washington are aiming for the U.S. stopovers to be low-key, and have called on China not to take any provocative action in response.
Still, Taiwanese officials say China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using Lai's U.S. stopovers as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of a next year's election and make them "fear war".
Lai's speech was attended by Ingrid Larson, managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, a U.S. government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan.
China considers Taiwan its most important diplomatic issue, and is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington, which is the island's most important international backer and arms supplier.
© Thomson Reuters 2023.
13 Comments
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EFD
Nor should it.
It only encourages the hegemonists in Beijing.
winston
Well if thats truly the case then please explain why Taiwan hasn't officially claimed independence ?
Strangerland
Do you also question why people don't tap-dance in minefields?
winston
Unofficial relations
Sounds very important
2020hindsights
winston
"No matter how great the threat of authoritarianism is to Taiwan, we absolutely will not be scared nor cower, we will uphold the values of democracy and freedom," he said.
Probably you should read up on the history of Taiwan and why declaring independence is such a touchy issue.
It's foreign policy, which I've heard a good analogy as "the international poker game where everyone is cheating".
winston
Taiwan cannot achieve a sustainable free democracy without the help of other nations.
And they know it
We all know it.
Therefore they are obviously scared and cowering by asking for help.
winston
Iam well aware already thankyou.
Taiwan needs to claim independence asap !
OssanAmerica
China needs to denounce the use of force against Taiwan now!
TaiwanIsNotChina
There is absolutely nothing in his statement about de jure independence. Taiwanese are happy with the status quo of de facto independence.
Given it is an asian tiger, I imagine it is more important than many official embassies.
Who says? They literally do this every day.
You are confusing the day to day living with the need to fend off a potential China attack. Of course the later will require help.
Nobody is going to vote for instant war.
Martimurano
It's crystal-clear that the evil CCP is about to make its' move on Taiwan - last week, China screened episode 1 of an 8-part documentary on state television there ( the ominously-named 'CCTV' ), which 'informs' the Chinese viewers that the People's Liberation Army are ready to attack Taiwan, and showcases soldiers pledging to die invading the island - "My fighter-jet would be my last missile, rushing towards the enemy if in a real battle I had used up all my ammunition".......
Such dreadful indoctrination of the people is standard practice for the CCP, softening them up for the inevitable war on which they seem hell-bent. Surely it's high-time the UN woke up to the reality of what's happening, and called-out the Dictator XinPing as a dangerous warmongering leader who must desist from all such blatant aggression against an innocent and much-smaller neighbour.
If the impotency of the UN is such that they can't, or refuse to act, then it is incumbent on All the Leaders of the Free Countries of Our World stand up Now and tell him Loud & Clear "Get your filthy hands off Taiwan" ....
TokyoLiving
They can kick whatever they want..
Sooner or later, Chinese province of Taiwan will be China's most precious jewel..
Get used to it world.
theFu
Another tantrum from the CCP.
Their goal seems to be to shift any attention from problems inside China. Look at the Xi new train station. Largest in Asia. surrounded by 3m+ of water. China, the country of facades. Guess the contractor didn't build any real drainage pipes there either, just put on the grates to make it appear there was drainage. Typical.
theFu
Ask everyone in China, which type of society they'd prefer - the CCP or what Taiwan provides to their citizens. If the Chinese citizens are provided all the information, truthfully, who wouldn't want what Taiwan has? They routinely rank very high on the freedom index with only a few other countries of the ~200 that exist higher.
The criteria are: The 12 Categories of the Human Freedom Index:
Rule of Law Security and Safety Movement Religion Association, Assembly, and Civil Society Expression and Information Identity and Relationships Size of Government Legal System and Property Rights Access to Sound Money Freedom to Trade Internationally RegulationChina is ranked 150, tied with Chad. They are in the bottom 25% of the list. When I think of economic and personal freedom, I don't think of them. Taiwan and Japan are about the same in their freedom scores. Any in the top 25% are fairly nice countries.
Ever noticed how Taiwan is treated like a separate country in almost all ways, except those tied to the UN? In reality, Taiwan is a separate country. Only mainland China seems confused about it.