In a recent statement, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen expressed optimism for long-term peaceful coexistence between Taipei and Beijing. As Taiwan approaches a crucial election, Tsai emphasized that the future relationship should be determined through democratic procedures.
With less than two weeks until the election, the world is closely monitoring the situation, as it will significantly impact the self-ruled island’s relations with China. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has increased pressure on the island through military, diplomatic, and economic measures.
President Tsai, who has been at odds with Beijing since her 2016 election, called for a resumption of healthy and sustainable exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. She urged both parties to seek a long-term and stable peaceful coexistence based on principles of peace, parity, democracy, and dialogue.
Despite the desire for improved relations, Tsai remained steadfast in emphasizing Taiwan’s commitment to defending its democracy. In her New Year speech, she highlighted Taiwan’s role in upholding democracy and protecting peace in the face of global conflicts between democracy, freedom, and authoritarianism.
Responding to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s New Year’s Eve speech, where he asserted that Taiwan “will surely be reunified” with China, Tsai stressed the importance of decisions being made in alignment with the common will of the Taiwanese people. She reiterated that Taiwan is a democratic country, and any future relationship with China must be determined through democratic procedures.
President Xi has previously indicated that China would not rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. The upcoming election has become a platform for political parties to define their stance on the Taiwan-China relationship. Tsai’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has advocated for sovereignty separate from China, while the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party’s candidate Hou Yu-ih and Taiwan People’s Party’s Ko Wen-je have pledged friendlier ties with China, expressing concerns that pro-independence remarks could undermine Taiwan’s security.
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