Taiwan Won't Bow To China, President Tsai Ing-wen Vows

Taiwan will keep bolstering its defenses to ensure nobody can force the island to accept the path China has laid down that offers neither freedom nor democracy, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Sunday, in a strong riposte to Beijing.

Photo Insert: Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with the helicopter pilots who flew the flag for Taiwan as the country celebrated its National Day.

Claimed by China as its own territory, Taiwan has come under growing military and political pressure to accept Beijing's rule, including repeated Chinese air force missions in Taiwan's air defense identification zone, to international concern, Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee reported for Reuters late on Sunday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on Saturday to realize "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan and did not directly mention the use of force. Still, he got an angry reaction from Taipei, which said only Taiwan's people can decide its future.

Addressing a National Day rally, Tsai said she hoped for an easing of tensions across the Taiwan Strait and reiterated Taiwan will not act rashly. "But there should be absolutely no illusions that the Taiwanese people will bow to pressure," she said in the speech outside the presidential office in central Taipei.

"We will continue to bolster our national defense and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us," Tsai added.

"This is because the path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people." China has offered a "one country, two systems" model of autonomy to Taiwan, much like it uses with Hong Kong, but all major Taiwanese parties have rejected that, especially after China's security crackdown in the former British colony.

Tsai repeated an offer to talk to China on the basis of parity, though there was no immediate response from Beijing to her speech. Beijing has refused to deal with her, calling her a separatist who refuses to acknowledge Taiwan is part of "one China," and does not recognize Taiwan's government.

China's government on Sunday denounced Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's National Day speech, saying it incited confrontation and distorted facts and seeking independence shuts the door to dialogue, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said.

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