Taiwan not to give up ‘free way of life under pressure’: President
Key takeaways
- Lai says Taiwan will not provoke conflict with China, but will not forsake its dignity or democratic values either.
- “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.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Lai says Taiwan will not provoke conflict with China, but will not forsake its dignity or democratic values either.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Taiwan's President William Lai Ching-at a news conference in Taipei [File: Taiwan Presidential Office/AP]Published On 17 May 202617 May 2026Taiwan’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.