Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te He pledged to unequivocally defend the island's sovereignty, just days after the end of Chinese live-fire military exercises around Taiwan. In his New Year's address, he stressed the need for Taiwanese people to demonstrate their resilience in the face of Beijing's ambitions.
According to him, the international community is closely observing the reaction of Taiwan In response to what he described as China's "growing expansionist ambitions," the president reiterated that his political approach is based on protecting national sovereignty, strengthening defense, and ensuring the overall resilience of Taiwanese society.
Persistent military and diplomatic tensions
Lai's statements come after Chinese military exercises involving missiles, aircraft, and warships, organized in response to a potential US arms sale to Taiwan, as well as comments by the new Japanese leader suggesting a possible intervention by Tokyo in the event of a Chinese attack.
This arms sale, worth over $11 billion, is the largest ever granted by the USA to Taiwan. It includes missiles, drones, artillery systems, and military software. Washington, under its legislation, is obligated to assist the island in its defense.
For its part, Beijing continues to view Taiwan as a renegade province that must be reunified, including by force if necessary. The Chinese president Xi Jinping He also reaffirmed this position in his own New Year's message, describing the future annexation as "inevitable".
Faced with this pressure, Taiwan announced last year a special $40 billion budget for arms purchases, including an ambitious air defense system called "Taiwan Dome." This plan, spanning from 2026 to 2033, is part of President Lai's commitment to increase military spending to 5% of GDP.
“Faced with the serious military ambitions of the China"Taiwan does not have the luxury of waiting," the president concluded, calling for sustained mobilization to guarantee the island's security and democracy.
