Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, Saturday, January 13, 2024.
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Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Sunday once again expressed goodwill and offered cooperation to China, saying he looked forward to greater mutual understanding and reconciliation, after China held two days of military drills near Taiwan.
China, which claims democratic governance over Taiwan, carried out military drills on Thursday and Friday that it said were “punishment” for Lai’s inauguration speech on Monday, which Beijing said was another push for Taiwan’s formal independence.
China has repeatedly denounced Lai as a “separatist”. Lai rejected Beijing’s sovereignty claims and said only the people of Taiwan could determine their future. He has offered talks several times but has been rebuffed.
Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the southern city of Tainan, Lai called on China to “share the burden of regional stability with Taiwan,” according to comments provided by the party.
Lai Zhi, who won the election in January, said he also “looks forward to enhancing mutual understanding and reconciliation with China through exchanges and cooperation, creating a mutually beneficial and win-win position, and moving towards peace and common prosperity.”
He thanked the United States and other countries for expressing concern about China’s exercises.
“The international community will not accept any country making trouble in the Taiwan Strait and affecting regional stability.”
The Taiwanese government condemned China’s military exercises.
Over the past four years, China has carried out regular military activities around Taiwan in an attempt to pressure the Taiwanese government.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that troops stationed on Erdan Island discovered a “rough” cardboard box containing paper with political slogans. City and Quanzhou City.
The Defense Department said the box was dropped out of sight by a drone, adding, “This is a typical cognitive operations trick.”
In 2022, Taiwan shot down a drone near Kinmen after complaining of days of harassment.
China’s Ministry of National Defense did not answer calls outside office hours.
Since the beginning of the exercise, the Chinese military has continued to broadcast a large number of propaganda videos and animations targeting Taiwan.
The Eastern Theater Command, which is in charge of the exercise, played a video of the rocket launch on Sunday, which it called “Cross-Strait Lethality” in English.
