Taiwan won't be forced to bow to China, says President Tsai Ing-wen - CNA

"But there should be absolutely no illusions that the Taiwanese people will bow to pressure," she said in the speech outside the presidential office in central Taipei.

"We will continue to bolster our national defence and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us," Tsai added.

"This is because the path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people."

China has offered a "one country, two systems" model of autonomy to Taiwan, much like it uses with Hong Kong, but all major Taiwanese parties have rejected that, especially after China's security crackdown in the former British colony.

Tsai repeated an offer to talk to China on the basis of parity, though there was no immediate response from Beijing to her speech.

Beijing has refused to deal with her, calling her a separatist who refuses to acknowledge Taiwan is part of "one China", and does not recognise Taiwan's government.

"COMPLETE REUNIFICATION"

Xi has made taking Taiwan a key goal of his leadership. On Saturday, he declared in a speech that "the complete reunification of our country will be and can be realised".

He said he favoured "peaceful reunification" but Xi's words come after months of increased military threats, including the recent surge in air incursions.

Last year, there were a record 380 sorties. There have already been more than 600 this year.

Taiwan's air defence identification zone is not the same as Taiwan's territorial airspace. It includes a far greater area that overlaps with part of China's own air defence identification zone and includes some of the mainland.

Tsai has made no move to declare formal independence, something Beijing has long warned would be a "red line" that would trigger an invasion.

But she warned what happens to Taiwan would have major regional and global implications.

"Every step we take will influence our world's future direction, and our world's future direction will likewise affect the future of Taiwan itself," she said.

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2021-10-10 03:13:00Z
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