Taipei [Taiwan], October 12 (ANI): Taiwan has urged China to stop its hostile rhetoric toward Taipei and abandon the use of force or coercion to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, after President William Lai reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to peace and freedom in his Double Ten National Day address, according to a report by Taipei Times.
Lai described Taiwan as a “city upon a hill” in his speech and said that Taiwan cherishes peace but would not give up its freedom. He also said Taiwan remained open to exchanges with China but would not accept subordination, the Taipei Times report said.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office criticised Lai’s remarks, accusing him of disregarding facts, distorting the truth and misleading the public. It said Taiwan is part of China and that the island’s future “can and must be decided jointly by all the Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan,” according to the report.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), however, rejected Beijing’s position, saying China has no right to dictate Taiwan’s future. It urged Beijing to end rhetoric that could increase cross-strait tensions and abandon any attempt to use force or coercion to alter the status quo.
MOFA said the Republic of China (ROC) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) exist as equals and are not subordinate to one another. It added that Taiwan’s future can only be decided by its 23 million people and that China has no right to interfere.
Taiwan would continue working with democratic partners around the world to safeguard national sovereignty, support sustainable development and preserve peace, stability and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the wider region, the ministry said.
The United States also welcomed Lai’s remarks. A US Department of State spokesperson said Washington welcomed the Taiwanese president’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait in his National Day address, according to the Taipei Times.
Separately, Richard Bush, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, said Lai had adopted a moderate tone while discussing cross-strait relations. Bush said Lai took a pragmatic approach to potential threats while remaining open to dialogue.
National Taiwan University political science associate professor Chen Shih-min said Lai’s speech reflected three key principles: maintaining stability, clearly expressing Taiwan’s position and reaffirming its commitment to peace.
Chen said the speech did not give Beijing an excuse for military coercion or provocation. Lai’s call for the US and China to manage their competition through dialogue and reduce the risk of conflict demonstrated Taiwan’s support for dialogue between the two powers, he said.
Chen also said Lai’s description of Taiwan as a protector of peace and stability, along with his emphasis on strengthening defence capabilities, demonstrated that enhancing Taiwan’s defence was intended to deter war rather than provoke conflict.
According to the Taipei Times report, Chen said Lai also sought to correct historical narratives regarding the Second World War, stressing that it was the ROC government that fought alongside the US against Japan.
Meanwhile, National Chung Cheng University political science professor Tsai Jung-hsiang said Lai’s speech reiterated Taiwan’s definition of peace, corrected historical facts and strengthened its international partnerships.
Tsai said Lai emphasised that peace must be maintained through strength, including developing asymmetric weapons, strengthening national defence capabilities and aligning with the combined strength of Indo-Pacific nations. (ANI)