China’s ambition to annex Taiwan is based on a desire to change the rules-based international order, rather than a desire for territorial gains, President William Lai (賴清德) said in an interview.
During an appearance on the talk show The View With Catherine Chang, aired last night, Lai said China aimed to achieve hegemony, and that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was an issue of worldwide concern.
During the interview, Lai also discussed his “four-pillar plan” for peace and prosperity, which he first outlined in an article published by the Wall Street Journal on July 4 last year. That plan includes bolstering Taiwan’s military deterrence, treating economic security as national security, developing partnerships with other democracies, and maintaining steady and principled leadership on cross-strait issues.
Photo: Screengrab from CH50’s YouTube channel
Lai cited recent expressions of support for Taiwan from the international community, including those from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, US President Joe Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the leaders of some EU countries, as well as statements made during the G7 summit in June.
Those statements all said that “maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is indispensable to international security and prosperity,” Lai said, adding that they illustrated the need for Taiwan to “stand united with the international democratic camp.”
On the issue of economic resilience, Lai said that only 11.4 percent of Taiwan’s overseas investments last year were in China, down significantly from 83.8 percent in 2010.
Taiwanese businesses are dispersing those investments elsewhere including Japan, the US, Europe and Southeast Asia, he said.
Commenting on regional security alliances, Lai cited the establishment of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the AUKUS security partnership, the Five Eyes alliance and the US-Japan-Philippines summit, which he said showed that democracies are cooperating near the Taiwan Strait.
Responding to rumors that Washington was concerned about Lai lacking diplomatic experience, and that it did not want him to transit through the continental US, Lai denied them and said that he did not have any plans to visit the US in the immediate future.
A White House official also dispelled rumors about US concerns about Lai’s administration during a news conference on Aug. 23.
“Everything that we have seen come out of Taipei indicates that the current leadership remains committed to maintaining status quo, and peace and stability,” the official said.
Super Typhoon Kong-rey is the largest cyclone to impact Taiwan in 27 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind (RMW) — the distance between the center of a cyclone and its band of strongest winds — has expanded to 320km, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. The last time a typhoon of comparable strength with an RMW larger than 300km made landfall in Taiwan was Typhoon Herb in 1996, he said. Herb made landfall between Keelung and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County with an RMW of 350km, Chang said. The weather station in Alishan (阿里山) recorded 1.09m of
STORM’S PATH: Kong-Rey could be the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in November since Gilda in 1967. Taitung-Green Island ferry services have been halted Tropical Storm Kong-rey is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon early today and could make landfall in Taitung County between late Thursday and early Friday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Kong-Rey was 1,030km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the nation’s southernmost point, and was moving west at 7kph. The tropical storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126 kph, CWA data showed. After landing in Taitung, the eye of the storm is forecast to move into the Taiwan Strait through central Taiwan on Friday morning, the agency said. With the storm moving
NO WORK, CLASS: President William Lai urged people in the eastern, southern and northern parts of the country to be on alert, with Typhoon Kong-rey approaching Typhoon Kong-rey is expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s east coast today, with work and classes canceled nationwide. Packing gusts of nearly 300kph, the storm yesterday intensified into a typhoon and was expected to gain even more strength before hitting Taitung County, the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. The storm is forecast to cross Taiwan’s south, enter the Taiwan Strait and head toward China, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The CWA labeled the storm a “strong typhoon,” the most powerful on its scale. Up to 1.2m of rainfall was expected in mountainous areas of eastern Taiwan and destructive winds are likely
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast. As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said. A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said. Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work
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