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TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen pledged on Wednesday to strengthen national security, saying his government would not submit to Chinese repression as Beijing steps up pressure to assert its sovereignty over the autonomous island. .
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen attends National Day celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan on October 10, 2018. REUTERS / Tyrone Siu
Tsai's remarks took place several weeks before the local elections at the end of November on the island. They are seen as an indicator of the behavior of his party in power in the presidential elections of 2020.
"At this time, China's intimidation and diplomatic pressure not only undermine relations between the two sides, but also call into question the peaceful stability of the Taiwan Strait," she said in a speech. delivered in Taipei for the National Day.
Taiwan will increase its defense budget every year to be able to defend its sovereignty, said Tsai, upgrading his military capabilities and self-sufficiency, including resuming the national development of advanced and sophisticated training aircraft. of submarines.
China, which regards Taiwan as a lost province, has increased military and diplomatic pressure on Taipei, which has resulted in a difficult period for the president and her pro-independence Progressive Democratic Party (DPP).
Three former allies, El Salvador, Burkina Faso and the Dominican Republic, have transferred their allegiances to Beijing this year, and the Chinese army has stepped up its encircling exercises around Taiwan, which Tapei has described as # 39; intimidation. [nL3N1SI2ZD]
Taiwan must work with other countries to form a coalition for the defense of democracy, Tsai said, thanking the European Parliament and the United States for their support.
Last month, the US Department of State approved the sale to Taiwan of spare parts for F-16 combat aircraft and other military aircraft worth up to $ 330 million. A Chinese gesture has endangered Sino-US cooperation. [nL2N1WA1MH] [nL2N1WP0R5]
China has never given up the use of force to put Taiwan under its control and regularly considers the island as the most sensitive issue in its relations with the United States.
Relations with Beijing have failed since Tsai took office in 2016, China suspecting that she wants to press for official independence, a red line for Beijing.
For his part, Tsai has repeatedly insisted on maintaining the status quo since coming to power.
On Wednesday, she called for a multinational effort to tackle some types of infiltration, such as spreading false information by some countries she did not name.
"I want to promise everyone that we will not increase antagonism in a reckless way, but we will not give in and not give in," she said.
Reportage of Jess Macy Yu and Yimou Lee; edited by Darren Schuettler and Clarence Fernandez
