TAIPEI — Taiwan’s president addressed foreign journalists Thursday, expressing his desire for a new U.S. arms sale package to be approved without delay, while also defending his government’s right to protect itself from Chinese pressure.
President Lai Ching-te made the remarks at a gathering of the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Taipei, saying the United States’ commitment to Taiwan’s security remains intact — but that Taiwan itself must not waver in building up its own defenses.
“The key is that Taiwan must not change course in strengthening its own defence capabilities, nor can it slow its pace,” Lai said.
He added: “We will continue to maintain close communication with the U.S. government, and we also hope the arms purchases can be approved as soon as possible.”
The comments follow unease in Taiwan sparked by remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump last month. After meeting with China’s Xi Jinping in Beijing, Trump indicated he was still weighing whether to approve new arms sales to Taiwan, describing them as a “very good negotiating chip” with China.
Taiwan is a democratically governed island that China considers part of its own territory. Beijing has intensified both military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan in recent years.
China has labeled Lai a “separatist” and has rejected his repeated overtures for dialogue. Despite that, Lai said Thursday he still wants to engage in talks with China based on what he called “parity and respect.”
He also made clear that Taiwan’s people alone have the right to determine their own future, and he pushed back on the notion that Taiwan’s self-defense efforts are antagonistic toward Beijing.
“Taiwan’s safeguarding of its own national security and maintaining its democratic and free way of life, its refusal to accept unification, and its refusal to accept rule by the Chinese Communist Party should not be seen as a provocation against China,” Lai said.
