Taiwan’s new president Lai Ching-te has demanded Beijing stop threatening the island, while urging the world to see the protection of Taiwan’s democratic freedoms as essential to global peace.
Taiwan’s new president Lai Ching-te has told China to stop its campaign of military intimidation against the island, as he framed the protection of his country’s democratic freedoms as being at the front line of global peace and security.
“I also want to call on China to cease their political and military intimidation against Taiwan, share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, as well as in the greater region, and ensure the world is free from the fear of war,” Lai said. “The future of cross-strait relations will have a decisive impact on the world. This means that we who have inherited a democratic Taiwan are pilots for peace,” he said.
The Chinese government did not immediately respond to Lai’s address but an editorial in state controlled newspapersaid Lai would “pose a serious threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” if he pursued independence.
Domestically, he will have to contend with a divided parliament after the DPP was plunged into minority government. Lai himself will face the immediate challenge of uniting the country behind his presidency, having secured 40 per cent of the vote after most Taiwanese parked their vote with the two major opposition parties the Kuomintang, which favours closer ties with China, and newcomer party, the Taiwan People’s Party.
Nachman said even if Lai still harboured pro-independence yearnings, he would be restrained by public opposition, a fractured parliament and, perhaps most importantly, the desires of its key ally and security guarantor.
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