Taiwan wants peace and dialogue with China but the country must prepare for war and strengthen its defences, the island’s president Lai Ching-Te said on Tuesday, in an address marking his one year in office.
Offering a message of peace at a time the self-governed island prepared for China’s drills across the Taiwan Strait, Mr Lai said: “I, too, am committed to peace. Because peace is priceless and war has no winner. But when it comes to seeking peace, we cannot have dreams nor illusions.”
China has termed Mr Lai a “dangerous separatist” who will bring “war and decline” to the island which it claims as a breakaway province. China has also rejected Mr Lai’s multiple offers for talks to address the differences.
Mr Lai rejects China's sovereignty claims over the democratic and entirely separately governed island, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and president Xi Jinping wants to “reunify” the island with the mainland, by force if necessary. The Taiwanese people largely favour the status quo which gives them de facto independence.
“Taiwan will continue to strengthen its defence as preparing for war is the best way to avoid it,” Mr Lai said as he marked a year in office and spoke to reporters at the presidential office in central Taipei.
"I also reiterate here – Taiwan is happy to have exchanges and cooperation with China as long as there is reciprocal dignity. Using exchanges to replace hemming in, dialogue to replace confrontation," he said.
A day earlier, the deputy head of Taiwan’s coast guard accused China of political warfare and using other pressure tactics against the self-governed island’s president.
"It cannot be ruled out that on the anniversary of President Lai's inauguration, the Chinese communists will again use similar tactics and videos to engage in political warfare to disrupt the morale of our people," said Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy head of Taiwan's coast guard.
Last week, China’s defence ministry said the president was a “Taiwan Strait crisis maker” who had increased antagonism and confrontation, and undermined peace and stability. The ministry did not acknowledge the reports of heightened military drills carried out by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) around the strait.
In a daily report detailing China’s military activities, Taiwan’s defence ministry on Monday said in the past 24 hours it had detected six Chinese planes and 11 vessels near the island.
In the past one year, China has held war games code-named "Strait Thunder-2025A" around Taiwan in April, the "A" at its end suggesting there could be more to come.
China called its May 2024 drills just after Mr Lai took office "Joint Sword-2024A", and in October of that year staged "Joint Sword-2024B".
