Taiwan not to give up ‘free way of life under pressure’: President

Taiwan’s president says the island will not be pressured into giving up its democracy and sovereignty, days after the self-governing territory was one of the main points of discussion between China and the US.

“Taiwan will not provoke or escalate conflict, but it will also not relinquish its national sovereignty and dignity, or its democratic and free way of life, under pressure,” William Lai Ching-te posted on social media on Sunday.

“Taiwan has always been a staunch maintainer of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, not a party seeking to change it,” he said, adding that China was the “root cause of regional instability”.

Beijing considers Taiwan to be a part of its territory and has pledged reunification by force if necessary.

The message followed US President Donald Trump telling Fox News on Friday that he was not “looking to have somebody go independent”, in reference to Taiwan.

The interview followed Trump’s summit earlier this week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, where tensions between the governments in Taiwan and Beijing loomed large.

According to remarks published by Chinese state media, Xi said the Taiwan question was the “most important issue in China-US relations”.

“If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly perilous situation,” Xi reportedly added.

The question of Taiwan’s sovereignty has been a fractious issue, stretching back to the Chinese civil war in the 1940s.

While the US does not officially back Taiwan’s claims to independence, successive presidencies have supported the island through arms sales and remarks, suggesting the US could defend Taiwan should it be attacked by China.

Recounting his exchange with the Chinese leader to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said Xi “feels very strongly” about his opposition to Taiwanese independence.

Trump added that he “made no commitment either way” on the issue. The US president also indicated he has not yet decided whether he would sign off on a new $11bn arms package to Taiwan, which has already been approved by the US Congress.

“I haven’t approved it yet. We’re going to see what happens,” Trump told Fox News. “I may do it. I may not do it.”

In his Sunday statement, the Taiwanese president stressed that the Taiwan-US security cooperation and arms sales are “key elements” in maintaining regional stability.

“This is not only a US security commitment to Taiwan, but also the most important deterrent force against undermining regional peace and stability,” said Lai.