Taiwan President Vows Not to Abandon ‘Free Way of Life Under Pressure’

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on May 18 affirmed that Taiwan will not succumb to pressure to abandon its democracy and sovereignty, days after the issue of the self-governing territory became a major point of discussion between China and the United States.

“Taiwan will not provoke or escalate conflict, but it will not give up its national sovereignty, dignity, or its democratic and free way of life under pressure,” Lai wrote on social media on Sunday.

He stressed, “Taiwan has always been the party committed to maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, not the one seeking to change it,” adding that China is the “root cause of regional instability.”

Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to unify it by force if necessary.

The statement came after U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News on May 16 that he does not “want someone to declare independence,” referring to Taiwan.

That interview followed Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier in the week, where tensions between the Taiwan administration and Beijing emerged as a major issue.

According to remarks published by Chinese state media, Xi said the Taiwan issue is “the most important issue in U.S.-China relations.”

“If handled wrongly, the two countries could conflict or even confront, pushing the entire U.S.-China relationship into an extremely dangerous situation,” Xi was quoted as saying.

The question of Taiwan’s sovereignty has been a longstanding point of contention, dating back to China’s civil war in the 1940s. Although the U.S. does not officially support Taiwan’s independence, successive U.S. administrations have backed the island through arms sales and statements suggesting the U.S. might defend Taiwan if attacked by China.

Recounting his exchange with the Chinese leader on Air Force One, Trump said Xi “feels very strongly” about opposing Taiwan’s independence. Trump also added that he “didn’t commit to any direction” on the issue. The U.S. president also said he has not decided whether to approve an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan that was passed by the U.S. Congress.

“I haven’t approved it. We’ll see what happens. I could do it, I could not,” Trump told Fox News.

In his Sunday statement, Taiwan’s President emphasized that U.S.-Taiwan security cooperation and arms sales are a “key factor” in maintaining regional stability. “This is not just a U.S. security commitment to Taiwan, but also the most important deterrent force against undermining regional peace and stability,” Lai said.