Taiwan will not give in to pressure from China and will defend its democratic system, President Tsai Ing-wen assured Sunday. For several days, the incursions of Chinese military planes in the airspace of the island have been increasing.
“No one can force Taiwan to take the path that China has blazed for us,” President Tsai Ing-wen said on the national day, saying the island is “on the front lines in defending democracy. “.
“We hope for a relaxation of (…) relations (with Beijing) and will not act rashly, but we should absolutely not imagine that the Taiwanese people will give in to pressure,” she added.
The 23 million inhabitants of Taiwan live under the constant threat of an invasion from China, which considers this territory to be one of its provinces. Beijing threatens to use force in case the island formally proclaims its independence.
Bomber planes
Taiwan has been ruled by a power of its own since the Communists’ victory on the Continent in 1949. Since the coming to power of Chinese President Xi Jinping, tensions have been at their highest level.
All official communication with Taipei, the capital, has been cut off since the 2016 election of Tsai Ing-wen. This considers Taiwan as an “already independent” country, and rejects the principle of “one China”. In response, Beijing is stepping up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on the territory.
Recently, Chinese military planes have stepped up incursions into the island’s air defense identification zone (Adiz). In 2020, 380 Chinese Air Force planes were detected in Taiwan’s Adiz. Since the beginning of this year, they have been more than 600. In recent days, nuclear-capable H-6 bombers have even been detected in the Taiwanese sky.
xi jinping wants peaceful reunification
Last Saturday, Xi Jinping promised an inevitable “reunification” with Taiwan by “peaceful” means.
The president of Taiwan offered talks with Beijing, which rejected them, and on Sunday reiterated her call for a “equal to equal” dialogue with China.