Taiwan national day: Taiwan will not bow to China, president says amid tension

In a stiff reaction to recent invading by China, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Sunday said that Taiwan will keep bolstering its defences to ensure nobody can force the island to accept the path China has laid down that offers neither freedom nor sovereignty for our 23 million people.

Responding to repeated threats from China’s leaders that it will one day take Taiwan – by force if need be – and overthrow its democratically elected government, Tsai said Taiwan had the resolve to defend itself and its future, which “must be decided in accordance with the will of the Taiwanese people”

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday vowed to realize “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan and did not directly mention the use of force. Still, he got an angry reaction from Taipei, which said only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.