Tsai Emphasizes Democracy’s Role Amid China’s Reunification Remarks
In a landmark press conference on New Year’s Day, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen highlighted the significance of democracy in shaping the island’s future with China, responding to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s comments on reunification. Xi, in his New Year’s Eve address, asserted reunification with Taiwan as an unavoidable eventuality, marking a hardening stance compared to his remarks from the previous year.
President Tsai asserted that any decisions regarding Taiwan’s relationship with China should mirror the will of the Taiwanese people, given Taiwan’s status as a democratic country. She urged China to respect the result of Taiwan’s imminent presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for January 13 and stressed the shared responsibility of both nations to uphold peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Bolstering Taiwan’s defenses, including an indigenous submarine program, has been a priority for Tsai, who clarified that such actions are intended for safety and dignity, not provocation. The Taiwanese government has accused China of attempting to meddle in the elections through various tactics, including disinformation and economic pressures.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate and Taiwan’s Vice President, Lai Ching-te, currently leading in opinion polls, has been labeled a separatist by China. Both the DPP and the main opposition party, the Kuomintang, agree that the future of Taiwan should be determined by its people. Tsai, nearing the end of her second term, will relinquish her office in May when the newly elected president assumes office.
