Taiwan celebrates its anniversary against a background of Chinese threats

Taiwan celebrated its “National” yesterday against the background of threats from China, which claims the self-governing island as its own territory.

Yesterday’s commemorations included military displays, but no heavy military equipment such as those seen in years past.

Addressing the threat from China, Lai Ching-te took a firm but measured line while offering cooperation on areas from fighting infectious diseases to maintaining “regional peace and stability.”

“We hope that China will live up to the expectations of the international community, that it will apply its influence and work with other countries toward ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and end conflicts in the Middle East,” Lai said.

“And we hope that (China) will take up its international responsibilities and, along with Taiwan, contribute to the peace, security and prosperity of the region and the globe,” the president added.

The celebration marks the establishment of the Republic of China, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and relocated to Taiwan as Mao Zedong’s Communists swept to power on the mainland during a civil war in 1949. Taiwan was run under martial law until transitioning to full democracy in the 1980s and 1990s but maintains the original constitution brought from China and the ROC flag.

Lai took office in May, continuing the eight-year rule of the Democratic Progressive Party that rejects China’s demand that it recognize Taiwan is a part of China. The Nationalists adhere to a unification stance that recognizes both sides of the Taiwan Strait as a single nation.

Maintaining its military pressure on Taiwan, China’s People’s Liberation Army sent 15 planes across the median line in the Taiwan Strait, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets, dispatch ships and activate missile systems.

At the same time, Taiwan faces economic threats from China ranging from a possible blockade of the trade-dependent island to an undermining of its financial system. China routinely states that Taiwan independence is a “dead end” and that annexation by Beijing is a historical inevitability.

Lai appeared to address such issues in his address, saying: “We must strengthen resilience throughout Taiwan in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention and democracy.”

Lai also irked Beijing when he said the “PRC is not Taiwan’s motherland.”

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, rejected Lai’s remarks, saying they could not alter “the fact that the two sides of the strait belong to the same China.” MDT/AP