Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said on Friday that his country does not want China’s “one country, two systems” and must uphold its freedom and democracy, with resolve to defend itself from aggression.
Lai said Taiwan has no ambition to let China govern a democratic nation with an incompatible authoritarian regime. The statement came after China repeated that “Beijing will not rule out using force over Taiwan”, striking a much tougher tone than a series of articles published in the state media.
Lai, who is seen as a separatist by China, told soldiers at a military base in northern Taiwan that only strength can bring real peace. He said, "Accepting the aggressor's claims and abandoning sovereignty certainly cannot achieve peace.”
“We have to maintain the status quo with respect and resolve, with firm opposition to annexation, aggression and forced advancement of unification," Lai said. He added, "We reject 'one country, two systems' because we will forever uphold our free and democratic constitutional system.”
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Lai has vowed to increase military spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2030, a move that only angers Beijing. Taiwan has already received some 80 of the 108 M1A2T tanks it ordered from the United States. China has viewed Taiwan as its integral part.
Experts predict that by 2027, China will launch a military campaign against Taiwan and will capture the Island nation in an operation that the world may not have witnessed since World War II.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur on Friday and said he had emphasised US concerns about China's activities around Taiwan, as well as in the contested South China Sea.
Though China has ruled out US objections, calling Taiwan its internal matter. The Taiwanese President's rhetoric is meant to boost the morale of his forces, while China is quietly preparing a full-fledged invasion of the country.
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