Taiwan won’t bow to China, says President Tsai Ing-wen

 In a strong massege to Beijing, president Tsai Ing-wen has warned that Taiwan  will keep bolstering its defences to ensure nobody can force the island to accept the path China has laid down that offers neither freedom nor democracy. Addressing a National Day rally, Tsai said she hoped for an easing of tensions across the Taiwan Strait, and reiterated Taiwan will not "act rashly". "But there should be absolutely no illusions that the Taiwanese people will bow to pressure," she said in the speech outside the presidential office in central Taipei.

"We will continue to bolster our national defence and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us," Tsai added. This is because the path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people, she said. Tsai says Taiwan is an independent country called the Republic of China, its formal name, and that she will not compromise on defending its sovereignty or freedom. Still Taiwan's goodwill will not change, and it will do all it can to prevent the status quo with China from being unilaterally altered, she said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on Saturday to realise "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan and did not directly mention the use of force. Still, he got an angry reaction from Taipei, which said only Taiwan's people can decide its future. Beijing has refused to deal with her, calling her a separatist who refuses to acknowledge Taiwan is part of "one China", and does not recognise Taiwan's government.