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China's foreign ministry says President Lai Ching-te's commitment to increasing Taiwan's military budget is "seeking independence by force" and that it would "drag Taiwan into conflict." The ministry was responding to Lai's National Day speech urging Beijing to give up the use of force to claim Taiwan.
Transcript
00:00Taiwan just marked its national day with the large ceremony in Taipei featuring a speech from President Lai Qingde,
00:06music and performances showcasing the diversity of the country.
00:10Lai's speech has some pointed messages and we are just now starting to see the response from the rest of the world.
00:17Our reporter Tiffany Wong has been following the activities and joins us now live from our newsroom in Taipei.
00:23Tiffany, what are some of the big takeaways from this year's event?
00:26Hi, Betty. Well, this year's National Day celebrations come amid growing geopolitical tensions and domestic economic challenges.
00:37But the pomp and circumstance that we saw outside Taiwan's presidential office on Friday morning
00:43are meant to show Taiwan is still a bright and vibrant democracy and also a key player in regional security.
00:50Taiwan's commitment to its self-defense as well as its commitment to developing certain industries
00:58were a key focus of President Lai Qingde's speech, his second since becoming president.
01:03Take a look at this.
01:04Wishing a happy National Day to Taiwan with big festivities outside the presidential office,
01:14showing off the talents, diversity, and might of the nation.
01:25President Lai Qingde delivered his second National Day speech as head of state with foreign dignitaries in attendance,
01:35ramping up promises of maintaining peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.
01:40He also had a direct message for China, which claims Taiwan as its own
01:44and has blocked the country from participating in major international organizations.
01:48Lai Qingde's speech is a very proud of the Chinese government.
02:08That message was interpreted by some as lies showing a softer attitude to Beijing amid growing cross-strait tensions.
02:15I think Lai, bilaterally, he tried to be using more graceful language towards China.
02:22When he called on China to talk about assuming responsibility befitting of a great power,
02:28he's really calling on China to listen to the better angels of Beijing's nature
02:32and the better angels that Lai still believes Beijing has.
02:36And when it comes to more multilateral terms, that's when he tried to be more deterrent-oriented.
02:42Defense was another focus of Lai's speech,
02:45especially as the country tries to prove its domestic capabilities and determination to international allies.
03:12Taiwan's biggest partner, the U.S., has been urging Taipei to pursue asymmetric defense strategies and spend more on its defense.
03:34Lai mentioned that Taiwan's expected to raise the defense budget to over 3 percent of GDP next year
03:40and still has a goal of reaching 5 percent of GDP by 2030.
03:45Experts say by putting Taiwan's self-defense capabilities first,
03:49Lai is trying to reassure partners that Taiwan has the intention to take care of itself,
03:53but that it's also trying to prove its pivotal role in regional peace, which other partners have an interest in.
03:59Lai is pretty comprehensive. He talked about strengthening internal balance and external balance.
04:06Internal balance in terms of strengthening Taiwan's own domestic defense system as the increased spending.
04:12Also about external balance, that is leveraging more friends, partners from abroad,
04:16so that they can lock themselves into a more sustainable, longer-term ecosystem of defense cooperation,
04:22and thereby creating more path dependency that's going to sustain Taiwan's defensive commitments going forward.
04:30So international countries who are watching should be very emboldened by Taiwan's commitment to defense,
04:36judging from Lai's speech.
04:38But besides addressing an international audience, Lai also had a message for the people of Taiwan,
04:43urging them to show strength in the face of adversity and acknowledging their daily challenges.
04:47Lai is the president of the United States.
05:18As Taiwan celebrates another year as a free country, Lai's address shows the country's
05:23capabilities in self-defense and reminds the country's allies that Taiwan is a necessary
05:28part of the global supply chain and Indo-Pacific security.
05:34Big national events in Taiwan do tend to stir a response from China, and today is no different.
05:40Taiwan's Coast Guard reported that a Chinese Coast Guard vessel breached restricted waters
05:45near Taiwan's Dongsha or Prada's Island on Friday morning, and it's condemning the Chinese
05:50side for using gray zone tactics to undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait.
05:55China, of course, views Taiwan's National Day as a separatist celebration, so it's really
06:00no surprise there that we're seeing this kind of military, this kind of response from China.
06:06Lai's speech itself has also attracted some attention from China.
06:10Its foreign ministry called Lai a troublemaker and a warmonger, saying that seeking
06:15independence by force will only drag Taiwan into conflict, this referring to Lai's commitment
06:21to boosting military spending.
06:24Now, whether China makes any moves will reveal whether President Lai's strategy of peace through
06:29strength, this strategy can work to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait or provoke conflicts.
06:36Thank you, Tiffany.
06:39That was Tiffany Wong live from Taipei.
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