The president of Taiwan on Saturday urged China to stop its "
military adventurism
", when tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at their highest level in years.
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Beijing has increased its pressure on the Democratic Island since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, who believes Taiwan is sovereign and not part of China.
In recent months, the Chinese military air force has made a record number of incursions into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (Adiz).
"
The use of military means is absolutely not an option to resolve the differences between our two parties,
" Tsai Ing-wen said during his New Year's speech.
Military tensions at their highest level
Beijing sees the island as a rebellious province that must eventually be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. In his New Year's speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping for his part declared that "
the complete reunification of our homeland is an aspiration shared by the people
" of China and Taiwan. Taiwan's defense ministry warned in October that military tensions with China were at their highest for four decades.
In recent years, Beijing has also intensified its efforts to isolate Taiwan on the international stage.
China regards any official statement by an "
independent
" Taiwan as a provocation and has repeatedly threatened consequences for countries that support Taipei in its self-determination.
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Beijing has encouraged Taiwan's shrinking diplomatic allies to switch sides.
Thus, China reopened its embassy in Nicaragua on Friday, three weeks after re-establishing diplomatic relations - interrupted since 1990 - with the country.