Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in his first National Day speech on Thursday that he would pledge to oppose any move toward annexation or encroachment by Beijing.
“The Republic of China (Taiwan’s formal name) and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other,” Lai told a crowd attending the ceremony in a plaza outside the presidential office in Taipei.
Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949, but China considers its self-governed democracy part of its territory.
“Democracy and freedom are growing and flourishing in this country. The People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan,” Lai said.
Lai said that as president, his mission is to ensure the nation’s survival and progress, and to unite Taiwan’s 23 million people. “I will also stand by the commitment to resist annexation or encroachment on our sovereignty,” Lai said.
“We hope that China will live up to the expectations of the international community, use its influence and work with other countries to put an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East,” Lai said.
Lai said Taiwan is open to cooperation with China to jointly tackle climate change, combat pandemics and safeguard regional security, with the aim of peaceful coexistence.
Lai pledged to further enhance Taiwan’s resilience in four key areas: national defense, economic livelihood, disaster prevention and democracy.
“As our society becomes better prepared, our nation will become more secure and there will also be more peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Lai said.
