Taiwan is open to dialogue with China, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday, just days before he is to take office.
“I will not rule out dialogue with China on the principles of mutual respect, mutual benefits and dignity,” Lai said in a prerecorded video, adding that dialogue should be conducted “with no preconditions.”
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has made similar appeals for official engagement with China, to no avail.
Photo: CNA
Beijing has insisted on Taipei accepting the so-called “1992 consensus” as a prerequisite for dialogue.
The “consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Lai, who is to be inaugurated on Monday next week, said that his administration “will work to safeguard the status quo” in the Taiwan Strait.
The people of Taiwan “stand at the forefront of the fight against authoritarian expansion,” as they face pressure from foreign disinformation, military threats and economic coercion, he said.
“Despite Beijing’s efforts, the people of Taiwan have rejected authoritarianism,” he said. “China’s coercion has only strengthened our resolve to remain democratic and free.”
In the face of those challenges, Taiwan must continue to bolster its defense capabilities and enhance its economic resilience, he said.
“Our economic strength is crucial... The free world must prevail in the global competition in critical technological fields,” Lai said, pledging to work toward making Taiwan a “hub of the global democratic technology alliance.”
He did not elaborate.
Tsai, who is to step down after serving two four-year terms, also addressed the summit in a separate prerecorded video in which she said: “The people of Taiwan are more determined than ever to safeguard democracy and freedom.”
Taiwanese have dealt with “much intensified threats and intimidation” from China on a daily basis “with resilience and courage,” Tsai said, accusing China of engaging in hacking, cyberattacks and military intrusions against Taiwan.
“Neither threats nor coercion will shake Taiwan’s resolve to engage with the world,” Tsai said. “Taiwan and its people stand ready to strengthen cooperation with democracies around the world in all areas where we share mutual interests.”
Partnerships Taiwan maintains with like-minded countries will be “the most effective defense of all,” she said.
Taiwan remains ready to share its best practices on countering authoritarian influence with its partners, she said, while underlining the country’s commitment to supporting democracies around the world.
The two-day summit, which ended yesterday, sought to bring together political, business and media leaders, as well as rights advocates to defend the values of freedom and democracy.
Other speakers who addressed the event included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, former US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
RSS