Taiwan’s Lai Says He Would Tell Trump China Is Destabilizing Indo-Pacific Region
Taipei-Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday that if he were to speak with US President Donald Trump, he would stress that China was undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and that no country had the right to annex the self-ruled island.
Speaking at a news conference in Taipei marking two years since taking office, Lai said Taiwan remained committed to maintaining the status quo while accusing Beijing of escalating military pressure across the Indo-Pacific region.
“My government is committed to maintaining the status quo, and Taiwan is also a guardian of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Lai said.
“China is the one undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” he added, citing Beijing’s expanding military exercises and deployments extending into the western Pacific.
The remarks came after Trump suggested last week that future US arms sales to Taiwan could serve as a bargaining tool in negotiations with China following meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump also indicated he was considering whether to hold direct talks with Lai, which would mark a significant break from decades of US diplomatic practice.
Washington shifted formal diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, and no direct conversation between sitting US and Taiwanese presidents has occurred since then.
Lai said communication channels between Taipei and Washington remained open and that he would use any opportunity to convey the views of Taiwanese society directly to the US administration.
“The Republic of China, Taiwan, is a sovereign and independent country,” Lai said, using Taiwan’s formal constitutional name.
“No country has the right to annex Taiwan. The people of Taiwan pursue a democratic and free way of life.”
Lai also defended Taiwan’s continued purchases of US weapons systems, describing military procurement as necessary to preserve peace and deterrence across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan has increased defense spending amid rising Chinese military activity around the island and continued pressure from Washington for Taipei to assume greater responsibility for its own defense.
In Beijing, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office dismissed Lai’s comments, accusing Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of destabilizing the region.
Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said Taiwan could not prevent what she described as the “historical trend” of reunification with the mainland.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, though it continues to publicly advocate what it calls “peaceful reunification.”
Taiwan recently reported increased Chinese military operations near the island and published rare images of Chinese fighter aircraft and naval vessels operating in nearby waters.
Lai reiterated that Taiwan’s future could only be decided by its people and said Taipei remained willing to engage in dialogue with Beijing on the basis of equality and dignity.
