Taiwan Warns They Are Strengthening Military To Protect Against China

During a speech over the weekend, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen warned that the country would be strengthening its military to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty against Communist China.
“After taking complete control of Hong Kong and suppressing democracy activists, the Beijing authorities also shifted away from the path of political and economic development that they had followed since ‘reform and opening up’ began decades ago. At the same time, regional order is being challenged in the South and East China Seas,” Tsai said. “The routinization of Chinese military activity in Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ) has seriously affected both our national security and aviation safety.”

Tsai explained that Taiwan “is willing to do its part to contribute to the peaceful development of the region” and that their “position on cross-strait relations remains the same: neither our goodwill nor our commitments will change.”

However, Tsai warned, “We hope for an easing of cross-strait relations and will not act rashly, but there should be absolutely no illusions that the Taiwanese people will bow to pressure. We will continue to bolster our national defense and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us. This is because the path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people.”

Tsai’s comments come just a week after China sent over 150 military planes into Taiwanese air space.

“The defense of Taiwan is in our own hands, and we are absolutely committed to that,” Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told ABC Australia in response to China’s aggression. “If China is going to launch a war against Taiwan we will fight to the end, and that is our commitment. I’m sure that if China is going to launch an attack against Taiwan, I think they are going to suffer tremendously as well.”