Taiwan’s president said today he remains willing to work with China to build “mutual understanding and reconciliation,” just days after Beijing launched military exercises on the self-ruled island in response to his inauguration speech.
President Lai Ching-tei was sworn in on Monday and China – which claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and considers Lai a “dangerous separatist” – began military maneuvers around the island three days later. Fighter planes, naval vessels and coast guard vessels surrounded Taiwan until Friday evening.
Today, Lai recalled how his inauguration speech on May 20 emphasized that “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are essential elements for global security and prosperity.”
“I also called on China to shoulder the important responsibility of regional stability with Taiwan,” he said during an event for his party, the Democratic Progressive Party. “I look forward to promoting mutual understanding and reconciliation through exchanges and cooperation with China… and moving toward a situation of common peace and prosperity,” he added.
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