Lai Ching-te defended Taiwan's sovereignty after US President Donald Trump suggested that arms sales to the island could be used as leverage in talks with China.
"Taiwan's future cannot be decided by foreign forces , nor can it be held hostage by fear, division, or short-term interests," Lai said in a speech marking the second year of his presidency. "Taiwan must have the capability to protect itself and to uphold peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." Beijing claims the self-ruled island as its territory and has not ruled out using force to seize it.
'No country has the right to annex Taiwan' Recently, President Donald Trump suggested in an interview with Fox News that US arms sales to Taiwan could be used as leverage in negotiations with Beijing following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump also suggested he might call Lai .
Lai said if given the opportunity to speak with Trump, he would stress that Beijing was undermining peace and raising tensions in the region.
"No country has the right to annex Taiwan. The people of Taiwan pursue a democratic and free way of life, and democracy and freedom should not be regarded as provocation," Lai said.
No direct, public conversation between the leaders of the two countries has taken place since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.
Beijing calls for 'reunification' Meanwhile, China's Taiwan Affairs Office urged Taiwanese people to work with Beijing to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The Chinese governmental body called for creation a future of "reunification and national rejuvenation ." Trump warns Taiwan not to declare independence To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Sean Sinico
