00:00Welcome back. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has rejected Beijing's call for one country, two systems,
00:07saying the island will never sacrifice its freedom or sovereignty.
00:11Speaking at a military base in Hukou on Friday, Lai said that he accepted China's terms
00:16would mean abandoning Taiwan's independence and would not bring peace.
00:22Lai, whom Beijing labels as separatists, says Taiwan and China are not subordinate to one another.
00:27He maintains that only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.
00:32His comments follow a warning from China that it will not rule out the use of force to take Taiwan.
00:37That marks a sharper tone from Beijing compared to recent state media articles
00:42offering a Hong Kong and Macau-style autonomy if the island accepts Chinese rule.
00:47Lai has pledged to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2030, a move they met to counter Beijing's military pressure.
00:55The remarks came as Taiwan commissions its 1st Battalion of United States' mid-M1A2T Abrams tanks
01:02aimed at strengthening ground forces against any invasion threat.
01:07Washington has delivered 80 of the 108 tanks on order,
01:11a sign of continued backing from Taiwan's most important security partner,
01:16despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties.
01:18That is it that這麼 frightening,
01:24Everyone wants to hang out.
01:27And the assembly is done.
01:28There will be €13 per second standing on the knowledge stage.
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