China’s ‘growing authoritarianism’ won’t stop with Taiwan: Lai

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te warned Wednesday that China’s “growing authoritarianism will not stop with” the island and urged democratic countries to unite to curb its expansion.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and a senior Chinese Communist Party official said Tuesday that Beijing was confident of “complete reunification” with the island.

Speaking at the annual Ketagalan Forum on Indo-Pacific security in Taipei, Lai cautioned that Taiwan was not “the only target” of Beijing.

“We are all fully aware that China’s growing authoritarianism will not stop with Taiwan, nor is Taiwan the only target of China’s economic pressures,” he told politicians and scholars from 11 countries attending the forum.

“China intends to change the rules-based international order. That is why democratic countries must come together and take concrete action. Only by working together can we inhibit the expansion of authoritarianism.”

Lai, who was sworn in on May 20, has been labelled a “dangerous separatist” by China for his staunch defence of Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Beijing has ramped up military and political pressure on Taiwan in recent years, and launched wargames days after Lai’s inauguration, encircling the island with fighter jets and naval vessels.

Taiwan’s military has been reporting near-daily sightings of Chinese warships around its waters, as well as sorties by fighter jets and drones around the island.

But Lai said China’s “military expansionism” was taking place elsewhere, pointing to Beijing’s joint exercises with Russia in the South China Sea, Western Pacific and the Sea of Japan.

“Such actions are intended to intimidate China’s neighbours and undermine regional peace and stability,” he said.

“Taiwan will not be intimidated. We will take responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

Lai has repeatedly made overtures for dialogue with Beijing but talks have effectively dried up since the 2016 election of his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, who has long said Taiwan is not part of China.

“Taiwan will neither yield nor provoke … On the condition of parity and dignity, we are willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China,” Lai reiterated Wednesday.

China’s foreign ministry hit back on Wednesday afternoon, with spokeswoman Mao Ning insisting Taiwan was “an inalienable part of China’s territory” and accusing Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of misleading the public.

“No matter what they say or do, they cannot change the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to a single China, nor can they stop the historical trend of China’s eventual reunification,” she told a regular press conference.