Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on Wednesday urged the world’s democratic countries to come together and act to prevent China from expanding authoritarianism and changing the rules-based international order.
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that should be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. The democratic island has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese civil war.
Speaking at the annual Ketagalan Forum on Indo-Pacific security in Taipei, Lai cautioned that Taiwan was not Beijing’s “only target”.
“China has even weaponized trade. Using various pressures and threats, it’s politically manipulating not just Taiwan, but also Japan, Korea, Australia, Lithuania, Canada, and other countries,” said Lai.
“China intends to change the rules-based international order. That is why democratic countries must come together and take concrete action. Only by working together can we inhibit the expansion of authoritarianism,” he added, stressing that China’s “growing authoritarianism” would not stop with Taiwan.
Lai is a member of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, which Beijing accuses of harboring separatist aspirations.
He came to power after winning a January election despite Beijing’s fierce opposition to his bid. He ran on a platform of promoting peace in the Taiwan Strait while not compromising on claims of Taiwanese sovereignty.
China has dialed up diplomatic, economic and military pressure on the island since former president Tsai Ing-wen’s administration came to power in 2016, as DPP member Tsai also refused to acknowledge that Taiwan and the mainland belonged to “One China.”
There have been near-daily sightings of Chinese warships around the democratic island as well as fighter jets and drones in the skies around it.
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But Lai said China’s “military expansionism” was taking place elsewhere, pointing to its joint exercises with Russia in the South China Sea, among other places.
“Such actions are intended to intimidate China’s neighbors and undermine regional peace and stability,” Lai said. “Taiwan will not be intimidated. We will take responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
The annual Ketagalan Forum is aimed at enhancing cooperation and dialogue among like-minded parties so as to maintain and advance peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
Former and current senior officials from 11 countries, including former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley attended the gathering, the first of its kind since the Lai administration took office.
Edited by Mike Firn.