Taiwan’s president used his National Day address on Saturday to say the island “cherishes peace” but will not give up its freedom, the Associated Press reported. The Lai Ching-te National Day speech also urged democracies across the Indo-Pacific to join forces to protect regional stability. Beijing responded sharply, accusing him of hidden motives.
What Lai said in Taipei
Speaking at the celebration in Taipei, Lai said lasting peace cannot rest on wishes alone. He argued that the status quo across the Taiwan Strait is being challenged by Chinese pressure. For Lai, the larger question is whether the world still believes that force cannot override rules.
He said Taiwan’s stronger self-defense aims to deter war, not provoke it, and to allow talks on equal footing. He also welcomed dialogue between China and the United States as a way to manage competition and lower the risk of conflict.
Reports noted that Lai did not use his usual line that neither side of the Strait is subordinate to the other. Instead, he spoke of building Taiwan with courage and confidence.
Beijing pushes back
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the speech disregards facts, distorts the truth and misleads the public, according to remarks carried by state broadcaster CCTV. The office accused Lai of clinging to separatist thinking and exaggerating the threat from the mainland. It repeated that Taiwan is part of China.
China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to take it. Taiwan’s defense ministry reported 21 Chinese military aircraft and seven navy ships around the island in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. Saturday. Thirteen of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Strait.
The US arms question
The speech comes as Taiwan waits on Washington. A record $14 billion US arms package for the island has stalled since a May summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. An earlier $11 billion package, the largest ever, was approved before China’s last war games in December.
China has pressed the United States to stop selling weapons to Taiwan. Xi told Trump in September that he hoped Washington would keep opposing Taiwan independence.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Pakistan, like most countries, has no official ties with Taipei and supports the one-China principle. Beijing is also Islamabad’s closest economic partner. Any rise in tension across the Taiwan Strait would therefore matter to Pakistan through trade routes, shipping costs and global markets, even though it is far from the region.
Among the guests at the event were King Mswati III of Eswatini, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, and a Japanese parliamentary delegation.
Sources: Associated Press, CCTV (as reported), Taiwan’s defense ministry.
