"
Appease
" China will not bring peace, Taiwan's vice president said on Wednesday, January 18, days after being elected head of the ruling party, which makes him a leading candidate for the next presidential election on this island.
"
Appeasement cannot buy peace
," said William Lai in his first comments on China since taking over as leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
This 63-year-old man is considered a possible successor to President Tsai Ing-wen, who will not be able to stand again at the end of his second four-year term, in May 2024.
Taiwan's sovereignty
William Lai was more vehement than Tsai Ing-wen on the issue of Taiwanese independence, although he stressed on Wednesday that he felt it was not necessary to proclaim it because it is “
already a sovereign country
”.
It is for this reason openly hated by China, which repeats over and over that this autonomous island is part of its territory and that it will seize it one day, by force if necessary.
William Lai urged the Taiwanese people to unite in the face of "
China's expanding authoritarianism
", saying that "
only by uniting all the people and strengthening our defense capabilities can we really ensure our safety
”.
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Taiwan lives in constant fear of an invasion by China, which has intensified its military, diplomatic and economic pressure since the election of Tsai Ing-wen as its leader in 2016, because it rejects Beijing's approach and regards his island as a sovereign nation.
Chinese authorities have warned that any Taiwanese move towards a formal declaration of independence would prompt a military response.