The new president of Taiwan, William Lai (Lai Ching-te), stated that his government will show “determination” when it comes to protecting the island, around which China implemented this Thursday (23) intense military maneuvers that are scheduled to continue until this Friday (24).
“Right now, the international community is paying close attention to Taiwan’s democracy. In the face of external challenges and threats, we will continue to defend democratic values and freedom in order to protect regional peace and stability,” said the president.
In his speech during an event at the headquarters of the 66th Marine Brigade, in which he did not explicitly refer to the Chinese exercises, Lai highlighted his “confidence” in the island’s Army and asked all citizens “to remain calm”.
“As commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, my responsibility is to protect our country and protect the lives and property of all (Taiwan) people. I will stand on the same front as my Army brothers and sisters to jointly protect national security,” Lai said.
The president, labeled by Beijing as a “secessionist” and “disorderly”, highlighted his intention to “promote national defense reform, strengthen the Army’s overall combat effectiveness and provide better care” to members of the Armed Forces.
“I firmly believe that taking good care of the national army means taking good care of the country,” Lai said.
The Eastern Theater Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) announced the start of military exercises near Taiwan from 7:45 am (8:45 pm on Wednesday in Brasília), to “strongly punish separatist acts related to independence ”.
China called the exercises “completely legitimate and necessary,” noting that they are “in line with international law and practice.”
“These exercises seek to safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as punish the separatist activities of those who promote ‘Taiwan independence’. They are also a serious warning against external forces that provoke and interfere in China’s internal affairs,” he said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.
For their part, both the government and the two main opposition parties in Taiwan today expressed their condemnation of these movements.
Along these lines, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that Taiwan “will continue to defend its belief in democracy” and will not change “due to coercion” by China, which considers the island, governed autonomously since 1949, as a “rebellious province”.
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