Taiwan seeks peace with China and is open to dialogue, but must strengthen its defences to avoid war, President Lai Ching-te said on Tuesday.
On the anniversary of his inauguration, Taiwanese President stressed that the country wants peace and open dialogue with China, but cannot ignore threats. According to him, the people of Taiwan value peace, and preparing for war is the best way to avoid it.
China calls Lai Ching-te a “separatist” and rejects his proposals for negotiations, insisting that Taiwan is part of the PRC. Lai Ching-te also stated that only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.
“I also want peace, but we cannot afford to have illusions. We must be prepared,” the Taiwanese president said. He also added that Taiwan is open to co-operation with China if both sides respect each other.
Last week, the Chinese Ministry of Defence blamed Lai for the crisis in the Taiwan Strait, which it claimed had undermined peace and stability.Last year, in response to Lai Ching-te’s inauguration as president, the PRC conducted the Joint Sword 2024A and Joint Sword 2024B military exercises, and last month, the Strait Thunder-2025A exercises.Beijing officials have not yet commented on the new statements by the Taiwanese president.
On May 20, 2024, the inauguration of the new president, Lai Ching-te, took place in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei. He devoted a significant part of his speech to relations with mainland China, which considers the island to be one of the provinces of the republic. Lai called on Beijing to recognise Taiwan’s independence and stated that Taipei would not make concessions on issues of freedom and democracy.
