Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te urged China on Friday to "unclench its fists" and not take any unilateral actions, saying ahead of expected Chinese war games around the island that Beijing would not win any respect for military drills.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te urged China on Friday to "unclench its fists" and not take any unilateral actions, saying ahead of expected Chinese war games around the island that Beijing would not win any respect for military drills.
China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, is expected to launch another round of exercises in response to Lai's trip to the Pacific, which has included stopovers in Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam, according to security sources.
Speaking to reporters in the Pacific Islands nation of Palau on the final day of his tour, Lai said he hoped China, which has condemned his visits to the United States, would return to the rules-based international order.
"It's better to open your hands than to clench your fists. Only by doing so can China win respect from the international community," Lai said in comments carried live on Taiwanese television.
"No matter how many military drills China stages and how many ships and aircraft they dispatch to intimidate regional countries, China will not win the respect from any country," he added, urging Beijing to stop "unsettling and regrettable" unilateral actions.
Asked about possible Chinese drills, Lai said Taiwan's engagement with the world "should not be used by authoritarian countries as an excuse for provocation".
Taiwan's government has a full grasp of the security situation in the region and has made the "best preparations" to ensure the security of the Taiwan Strait separating the island from China, he said.
Beijing detests Lai, branding him a "separatist", and has rejected multiple offers of talks by him.
Lai rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future and that Taiwan has a right to engage with the rest of the world.
Lai reiterated that while Taiwan wants engagement with China, he cannot have any illusions about peace and that Taiwan must continue to strengthen its defences.
Peace is priceless and there are no winners in a war, he added, repeating comments he made in Hawaii after visiting a memorial to the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
China has staged two rounds of war games around Taiwan so far this year, one in May shortly after Lai's inauguration and another in October following his national day speech.
In Guam on Thursday, Lai spoke with U.S. congressional leaders, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, ahead of Donald Trump returning to the White House on Jan. 20.
Trump unnerved Taiwan during the U.S. presidential campaign, saying the island "should pay us for defence" and that Taiwan had taken virtually all of the U.S. semiconductor industry's business.
Lai said Taiwan enjoys strong bipartisan support in the United States and that he was optimistic that he can deepen ties with the incoming U.S. administration.
"Taiwan is confident that we can continue to deepen cooperation with the new U.S. government and resist the expansion of authoritarianism."
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Fra...
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's f...
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public re...
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public records, a Kabul Institute report released on 22 October said. The United Nations says its oversight systems ensure accountability.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment