Taiwan will not provoke conflict nor give up sovereignty, says president
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te told the BBC that Taipei will "not provoke conflict" but will "not surrender its sovereignty". The statement came days after President Donald Trump warned Taiwan against declaring independence at the US-China summit. Beijing has reacted sharply.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te told the BBC the island "will not provoke conflict" but "will not surrender its sovereignty". The statement came days after President Donald Trump met Xi Jinping in Beijing. Trump said at the summit that he had warned Taiwan against declaring independence.
Lai, speaking at the midpoint of his presidential term, said Taiwan is on track to grow defence spending by 18% a year and will source military procurement from both the United States and Europe. He also said that, despite pressure from Beijing, Taiwanese citizens have the right to make democratic choices and the island's identity is not up for negotiation.
China's foreign ministry, in a statement to the BBC, described Lai's remarks as "separatist rhetoric" and issued a warning. Tensions in the Taiwan Strait have risen sharply since the Trump-Xi summit; US Navy units continued patrol operations in the strait last week.
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