New Delhi: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has rejected China’s proposal of ‘one country, two systems’ political framework, asserting, “Taiwan will never accept China’s ‘one country, two systems’ political framework, while noting that Hong Kong is “on the verge of chaos” due to the failure of this policy.”
Tsai said, China is still threatening to impose its ‘one country, two systems’ model for Taiwan. The overwhelming consensus among Taiwan’s 23 million people is our rejection of ‘one country, two systems’, regardless of party affiliation or political position.”
“If China’s ‘one country, two systems’ is accepted, there would no longer be any room for the existence of Taiwan,” she added.
Tsai said, “Standing up to protect national sovereignty is not a provocation but my fundamental responsibility,” and asked the people of Taiwan to “stand up and defend ourselves” when freedom and democracy are challenged and existence of Taiwan is threatened.
Slamming China in her National Day address, Tsai said, “Diplomatic offensives and military coercion pose a serious challenge to regional stability and peace, and vowed to stand up to Beijing’s moves to encroach Taiwan ‘through sharp power’.”
China is challenging “free, democratic values and the global order through a combination of authoritarianism, nationalism, and economic might,” Tsai added.
She said and added, “Taiwan, over which China lays its claim is the strategic forefront of the Indo-Pacific region. It has become the first line of defense for democratic values at a time when we are witnessing China’s rise and expansion.”
“China is encroaching on us through sharp power, Taiwan would work with like-minded nations to ensure that the “peaceful and stable cross-strait status quo is not unilaterally altered,” she added.
Further she said, “As a crucial member of the region, Taiwan must fulfill its responsibilities to the international community, we will not act provocatively or rashly; rather, we will work with like-minded countries to ensure that the peaceful and stable cross-strait status quo is not unilaterally altered.”
Referring US-China trade dispute she said, “The world is still changing fast, and the changes are even more dramatic. And not far from Taiwan, Hong Kong is on the verge of chaos due to the failure of ‘one country, two systems.”
Tsai recalled the challenges Taiwan faced over the last seven decades, stating, “These shared memories exemplify the resilience of Taiwan’s people, a resilience that led us to become one of the ‘Four Asian Tigers’, a resilience that led us on the arduous path of democratization to become an important global model of democracy.”
