Taiwan’s future cannot be decided by ‘external forces’, president says

TAIPEI, May 20 (Reuters) – Taiwan’s future cannot be decided by “external forces”, only by its own people, and the democratically governed island will not give up its freedom, President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday as he marked two years in office.

Lai faces not only pressure from China, which claims Taiwan as its own and calls him a “separatist”, but also from the U.S., traditionally its most important supporter.

Last week following a summit with China’s Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was undecided on further arms sales to Taiwan, which he said were a “good negotiating chip” and that he was “not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let’s go independent”.

Speaking at the presidential office in Taipei, Lai said democracy is not a “gift that fell from the sky”.

“Taiwan’s future cannot be decided by external forces, nor can it be held hostage by fear, division, or short-term interests. Taiwan’s future must be decided jointly by its 23 million people,” he said.

Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and preventing “external forces” from changing the cross-strait status quo are Taiwan’s strategic objectives, Lai added.

“Taiwan is a responsible member of the international community, not a party that undermines stability,” he said.

Lai reiterated that Taiwan was willing, on the principles of parity and dignity, to engage in healthy and orderly exchanges with China, but rejected efforts that “package unification as peace.”

(Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Kate Mayberry)