Taiwan will protect its people from falling into the hands of communist authoritarianism, the president said at the 110th National Foundation Day Ceremony in Taipei on October 10.
At the ceremony held, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said, “We will strengthen our defense and prevent us from forcing Taiwan on the path that China has set for us. I will show my determination to protect. ” In the square in front of Cheong Wa Dae.
“The road China has shown does not provide Taiwan with a free and democratic way of life, nor does it provide sovereignty to 23 million people,” she said.
National Foundation Day indicates that the official name of Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC), was established in 1912. Still, the Chinese administration sees the island as a pesky state, despite the fact that virtually independent countries have their own constitutions, military and ruling parties.
Beijing has warned for decades that Taiwan’s attempt to seek “independence” means war, but the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has never actually ruled an autonomous island.
Before the Communist government came to power 72 years ago and established the Republic of China, the legitimate government ROC at that time had withdrawn to Taiwan.
Yesterday, on the eve of the 110th anniversary of ROC’s founding, Chinese leader Xi Jinping claimed to have achieved “peaceful unity” with Taiwan. It happened earlier this month after Beijing flew 150 fighters into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone to intensify its military threat.
“Regional order has been challenged in the South China Sea and East China Sea. Routine Chinese military activity in the air defense identification zone of southwestern Taiwan has serious implications for both our national security and aviation security. “Tsai said.
The Taiwanese president has promised to protect the island from a dramatic increase in aggression.
“We want to ease cross-strait relations and don’t act in a hurry, but there should never be an illusion that Taiwanese people will succumb to pressure,” Tsai said. “And we will do our best to prevent the status quo from changing unilaterally.”
China proposed putting Taiwan under Chinese control under the “one country, two systems” system that the administration promised to Hong Kong in 1997. Nevertheless, Taipei rejected the proposal after Beijing made relentless efforts to undermine the city’s autonomy.
“We don’t have the privilege of being alert,” Tsai said, saying Taiwan is at the forefront of democracy in defending against the expansion of communist authoritarianism.
Some US Senators and the House of Representatives congratulated Taiwan a few days before the celebration, reaffirming the island’s regional and global contributions and the importance of the bilateral partnership between the United States and Taiwan.
Senator Bob Menendez (DN.J.) and Jim Inhof (R-Oklahoma) wrote in a joint letter, “Keep in mind that Taiwan is at the forefront of confronting the challenges posed by the Chinese government. “.pdf) Tsai as of October 5th. Menendez is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“We can look forward to our continued support to ensure that Taiwan remains one of the most important partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” Senator added.
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Rita Lee is a reporter for The Epoch Times, focusing on topics related to China. She started writing the Chinese version in 2018.