Appeasing China will not bring peace, Taiwan’s vice president said, days after being elected head of the ruling party in a move that makes him a front-runner for the presidency in the next election.
William Lai, 63, is seen as the likely successor to President Tsai Ing-wen, who is barred from running again after her second four-year term ends in May 2024.
Lai is more outspoken about Taiwan independence than Tsai and is openly loathed by Beijing for this reason.
“Appeasement cannot buy peace,” Lai said on Wednesday in his first comments on China since taking over as leader of the Democratic Progressive Party.
He urged the Taiwanese people to unite in the face of “the expansion of Chinese authoritarianism,” saying that “only by uniting all people and strengthening our defense capabilities can we truly protect our security.”
Self-ruled Taiwan lives in constant fear of invasion by China, which claims the island democracy as part of its territory, only to be taken over one day if necessary by force.
China has increased military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai’s election in 2016, as she rejects China’s position and views the island as a sovereign nation.
Beijing has said any move by Taiwan to declare formal independence would trigger a military response.
Lai said on Wednesday that there was no need to declare independence as Taiwan “is already a sovereign country”, echoing Tsai’s previous comments.
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