He urged Beijing to replace confrontation with dialogue, shortly after being sworn in on Monday.

Taiwan’s newly inaugurated president William Lai has called on China to stop threatening the island and accept the existence of its democracy.

He urged Beijing to replace confrontation with dialogue, shortly after being sworn in on Monday.

He also said Taiwan would never back down in the face of intimidation from China, which has long claimed the island as its own.

China responded by saying, “Taiwan independence is a dead end”.

“Regardless of the pretext or the banner under which it is pursued, the push for Taiwan independence is destined to fail,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at the daily press briefing on Monday afternoon.

  • MrSpArkle@lemmy.caEnglish
    481·
    6 months ago

    My favorite part of China saying Taiwan isn’t a country is where we say we agree but still sell Taiwan hundreds of fighter jets and missiles.

      • GreatAlbatross@feddit.ukEnglish
        15·
        6 months ago

        Countries toeing the line to allow CCP China to save face, while also selling defense equipment to Taiwan.

          • akakunai@lemmy.caEnglish
            12·
            6 months ago

            As of a few years ago at least, most Taiwanese people were in favour of keeping relations as they are and neither expanding nor severing Chinese relations from status quo. They already operate as their own country, so a push towards further separation is mostly only symbolic anyway and they don’t want to provoke China and their current peace for a symbolic gesture. I think that by treating Taiwan as its own country but not identifying it as such, we are acting as most Taiwanese wish.

          • OBJECTION!@lemmy.mlEnglish
            101·
            6 months ago

            Because the policy of deliberate ambiguity is consistent with what Taiwanese people want and has successfully maintained peace for over 40 years while still allowing Taiwan to be functionally independent.

            But, you know, who cares about peace and prosperity for ordinary people when our leaders could score a couple political points against their leaders, amirite?

    • jaschen@lemm.eeEnglish
      72·
      6 months ago

      Taiwanese person here. We need to get a special VISA to go to China. Even their immigration thinks we are independent.