TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Wednesday he welcomed equitable, dignified, healthy and orderly exchanges with China, but questioned whether there was goodwill on Beijing’s part given what he said , was his blocking of simple things like tourism.
Lai, who took office in May, has periodically offered talks with China but has been rebuffed. China considers democratically governed Taiwan its own territory and detests Lai as a “separatist.”
He says only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.
At a news conference on New Year’s Day, Lai said China was blocking normal interactions with restrictions on visits by Chinese tourists or students studying on the island, while similar bans do not apply to Taiwanese going to China. .
“But I still want to emphasize this: Taiwan hopes to have healthy and orderly exchanges with China under the principles of reciprocity and dignity,” he said.
Journalists should ask China why its citizens can travel freely to countries like the United States and Japan, but it has all these controls when it comes to Taiwan, Lai added.
“Does this really show goodwill towards Taiwan? Can’t they treat everyone equally?
Taiwan and China have repeatedly traded accusations over tourism and travel restrictions. In June, Taiwan told its citizens not to go to China unless absolutely necessary, following a threat from Beijing to execute those considered “hardcore” supporters of Taiwanese independence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s speech on Tuesday that no one can stop China’s “reunification” with Taiwan.
The Chinese military operates daily around Taiwan and last year hosted two rounds of war exercises near the island.
Lai said the greater the threat from authoritarian countries, the more democracies should join together, noting that the militaries of China and Russia operate together in the Indo-Pacific.
Cooperation between democracies should focus on defense and security and strengthening the “democratic supply chain,” he said.
“If that is not done properly, it will affect the economies and industries of all countries, and the lives of people in democracies,” Lai said.
“I really hope that in the New Year democratic countries can be even more united and achieve the goals of peace, democracy and prosperity.”
