Taiwan’s president emphasized Wednesday that outside nations have no authority to determine the island’s destiny, declaring that only Taiwan’s citizens can chart their own course while vowing to preserve their democratic freedoms.
President Lai Ching-te delivered these remarks while commemorating his second anniversary in office, facing mounting pressure from multiple directions. China continues to assert territorial claims over Taiwan and has labeled Lai a “separatist,” while the United States, traditionally Taiwan’s strongest ally, has also applied pressure.
Recent developments have intensified these tensions. Following his recent meeting with China’s Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed uncertainty about continuing weapons sales to Taiwan last week, describing such sales as a “good negotiating chip” and stating he was “not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let’s go independent.’”
During his address from the presidential office in Taipei, Lai emphasized that democratic governance requires active protection rather than passive acceptance.
“Taiwan’s future cannot be decided by external forces, nor can it be held hostage by fear, division, or short-term interests. Taiwan’s future must be decided jointly by its 23 million people,” he declared.
The president outlined Taiwan’s strategic goals as preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait while preventing outside nations from altering the existing cross-strait arrangements.
“Taiwan is a responsible member of the international community, not a party that undermines stability,” Lai stated.
While expressing openness to dialogue with China based on equal standing and mutual respect, Lai firmly dismissed any attempts that “package unification as peace.”
