Taiwanese President William Lai said the island was determined to defend its sovereignty and strengthen its defenses in the face of China's growing expansion after Beijing fired missiles toward the island as part of military drills.
The international community is watching to see whether the Taiwanese people have the resolve to defend themselves, Lai said in his New Year's address, broadcast live from the presidential office in Taipei, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
"As president, my position has always been clear: to resolutely defend national sovereignty and strengthen national defense", Lai said, noting that China has focused its attention on Taiwan's newly acquired combat capabilities as a "hypothetical adversary" in his exercises this week.
Lai stressed that this shows the need to increase defense spending and called on opposition parties to support his plan to increase Taiwan's defense spending by $40 billion – a proposal that is currently blocked along with other issues in the opposition-controlled parliament.
"Whether China will be able to achieve its goals on time is questionable", Lai said when asked about a U.S. report that China is preparing to acquire the ability to win a war over Taiwan by 2027. "The upcoming 2026 will be crucial for Taiwan", he said, adding that Taiwan should "prepare for the worst and hope for the best".
"We are ready to engage and cooperate with China based on equality and mutual respect, promoting a peaceful and shared environment across the Strait," Lai said. "As long as China recognizes the existence of the Republic of China and respects the desire of the Taiwanese people for a democratic and free way of life."
China considers democratically governed Taiwan to be its territory and does not rule out the use of force to bring it under Chinese control. Taiwan rejects the PRC's claims.
After Lai's statement, Beijing said he was trying to deceive the Taiwanese and mislead international public opinion.
"William Lai's statement is full of lies and reckless claims, hostility and malice," a spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said in comments carried by state television.
Lai's speech came just two days after China's military exercises, dubbed "Mission Justice 2025." China has fired dozens of missiles toward Taiwan and deployed a large number of warships and aircraft near the island in a show of force that has raised concerns among Western allies, including the European Commission and Britain. Taipei has condemned the exercises as a threat to regional security and a clear provocation. Beijing announced late on Sunday that it had ended the exercises, saying its military would continue to strengthen combat readiness.
Chinese President Xi Jinping struck a familiar tone on Taiwan in his New Year's address, repeating last year's warning to what Beijing considers separatist forces that China's "reunification" with Taiwan could not be stopped.
The exercises forced the island to cancel dozens of domestic commercial flights and send military aircraft and warships to monitor Chinese forces. The maneuvers began 11 days after the United States announced a record $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan. The Chinese military said the exercises were aimed at deterring foreign interference.