’War is not an option’, Taiwan president says amid China tensions

China, which considers Taiwan as its own and threatens to bring the island under its control if necessary, has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure to force the island to accept Chinese sovereignty since Tsai took office in 2016.

Reuters
Published20 May 2023, 10:12 AM IST
China's three days of military drills formally ended on Monday, but Taiwan has reported continued activity on a reduced scale. (Illustration: Reuters)
China’s three days of military drills formally ended on Monday, but Taiwan has reported continued activity on a reduced scale. (Illustration: Reuters)

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen vowed on Saturday to maintain the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait amid high tensions with China, which has stepped up military pressure on the democratically governed island.

Taiwan will not provoke and will not bow to Chinese pressure, Tsai said in a speech in the presidential office in Taipei marking the seventh anniversary of her governance.

China, which considers Taiwan as its own and threatens to bring the island under its control if necessary, has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure to force the island to accept Chinese sovereignty since Tsai took office in 2016.

Beijing has rebuffed calls for talks from Tsai, regarding her to be a separatist. Tsai has repeatedly vowed to defend Taiwan's freedom and democracy.

"War is not an option. Neither side can unilaterally change the status quo with non-peaceful means," Tsai said. "Maintaining the status quo of peace and stability is the consensus for both the world and Taiwan."

"Although Taiwan is surrounded by risks, it is by no means a risk maker. We are a responsible risk manager and Taiwan will stand together with democratic countries and communities around the world to jointly defuse the risks," she said.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations agreed they were seeking a peaceful resolution to issues on Taiwan, the host of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, said on Friday.

Tsai said Taiwan officials are in discussions with U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on sending $500 million worth of weapons aid to Taiwan, adding that the aid was meant to address deliveries of weapons delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She stressed the global importance of Taiwan's supply chain, which produces most of the world's advanced semiconductor chips, and vowed to keep the most advanced chip technologies and research and development centres in Taiwan.

Taiwan is gearing up for a key presidential election in mid-January, with China tensions set to top the campaign agenda.

Representing Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party for the key vote in mid-January, New Taipei City mayor Hou Yu-ih said on Saturday that Taiwan faces a choice between "peace and war" under Tsai's rule and he vowed to keep regional stability through unspecified "dialogue and exchanges".

"The fears for war will never drive away the hope for peace," Hou said at an event in Taipei to kick off his election campaign, vowing to defend the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name.

Hou is running against Taiwan Vice President William Lai from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

The KMT, which favours close ties with China, has framed the 2024 vote as a choice between war and peace.

In the presidential office when asked about the opposition's stance on the elections, Tsai said maintaining peace should be the consensus for all political parties in Taiwan, and that one should not "sell the fears of war for elections gains."

(Reporting by Yimou Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and William Mallard)

Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.

MoreLess
First Published:20 May 2023, 10:12 AM IST
Business NewsNewsWorld’War is not an option’, Taiwan president says amid China tensions

Get Instant Loan up to ₹10 Lakh!

  • Employment Type

    Most Active Stocks

    Tata Motors share price

    784.95
    03:56 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -19.8 (-2.46%)

    Tata Steel share price

    144.15
    03:56 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -0.8 (-0.55%)

    Tata Power share price

    414.25
    03:56 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -17.25 (-4%)

    Oil & Natural Gas Corporation share price

    256.20
    03:55 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -0.7 (-0.27%)
    More Active Stocks

    Market Snapshot

    • Top Gainers
    • Top Losers
    • 52 Week High

    Fortis Healthcare share price

    638.50
    03:29 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    14.6 (2.34%)

    Coforge share price

    8,099.00
    03:45 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    35.6 (0.44%)

    HCL Technologies share price

    1,862.90
    03:29 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -4.1 (-0.22%)

    Federal Bank share price

    207.15
    03:53 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -0.6 (-0.29%)
    More from 52 Week High

    ITI share price

    295.15
    03:51 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -32.25 (-9.85%)

    Jyothy Labs share price

    441.65
    03:55 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -35.7 (-7.48%)

    Whirlpool Of India share price

    1,789.90
    03:29 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -141.5 (-7.33%)

    Britannia Industries share price

    5,028.25
    03:56 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    -397.05 (-7.32%)
    More from Top Losers

    Uno Minda share price

    1,002.75
    03:48 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    80.45 (8.72%)

    Jubilant Foodworks share price

    636.30
    03:29 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    34.45 (5.72%)

    The Ramco Cements share price

    910.25
    03:40 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    40.3 (4.63%)

    Macrotech Developers share price

    1,241.65
    03:44 PM | 12 NOV 2024
    52.9 (4.45%)
    More from Top Gainers

    Recommended For You

      More Recommendations

      Gold Prices

      • 24K
      • 22K
      Bangalore
      77,305.00-1,470.00
      Chennai
      77,311.00-1,470.00
      Delhi
      77,463.00-1,470.00
      Kolkata
      77,315.00-1,470.00

      Fuel Price

      • Petrol
      • Diesel
      Bangalore
      102.92/L0.00
      Chennai
      100.80/L0.00
      Kolkata
      104.95/L0.00
      New Delhi
      94.77/L0.00

      Popular in News

        HomeMarketsPremiumInstant LoanMint Shorts