‘Return’ to China not an option for Taiwan’s people, premier says responding to Xi
TAIPEI, Nov 25 (Reuters) – Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said on Tuesday that a “return” to China is not an option for the island’s 23 million people, after Chinese President Xi Jinping pressed his country’s sovereignty claims in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
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“We must once again emphasise that the Republic of China, Taiwan, is a fully sovereign and independent country,” Cho told reporters outside parliament, referring to the island’s formal name.
“For the 23 million people of our nation, ‘return’ is not an option – this is very clear,” he added.
In Taiwan’s system, the premier is in charge of day-to-day government operations while defence and foreign relations are generally the president’s purview.
TAIWAN REJECTS CHINA’S AUTONOMY MODEL
China says Taiwan is its most important and sensitive diplomatic issue.
Trump touted progress in trade talks and said relations with China were “extremely strong” in a post on Truth Social following his call with Xi, without mentioning any discussions on Taiwan.
The People’s Republic of China did not come into existence until 1949, when Mao Zedong’s communist forces defeated the Republic of China forces, which then fled to Taiwan.
“China has repeatedly attempted to intimidate and pressure neighbouring countries such as Taiwan and Japan in the region with its authoritarian expansionist nature,” he said.
CHINESE MILITARY PRESSURE
Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control and has stepped up its military pressure against the island.
On Tuesday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had spotted a single balloon coming from China flying over the sensitive Taiwan Strait the day before.
Beijing’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China has previously dismissed Taiwan’s complaints about the balloons, saying they were for meteorological purposes and should not be hyped up for political reasons.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Saad Sayeed
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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