Taiwan’s president reminds that no threat will weaken the island’s defenses

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing Wen said Tuesday that China’s military exercises around the island threaten the stability of the Indo-Pacific region and recalled that no threat, alluding to Beijing, will be able to weaken the determination of the Taiwanese people to defend their country.

The Taiwanese president received a U.S. delegation of experts from the Hoover Institution of Stanford University to “discuss the security of the island” as well as the stability of the Indo-Pacific.

“The battle of August 23 64 years ago showed the world that no threat can break the determination of the Taiwanese people to defend their country. It was the same in the past, is as it is now and will be the same in the future,” he explained during the meeting, as reported by the Chinese version of Voice of America.

The island’s president was referring to the historic event of August 23, 1958, when the People’s Liberation Army launched a large-scale artillery attack on Kinmen Island in an attempt to conquer it.

“We welcome academic exchanges with the United States, which promote awareness and understanding of our countries’ shared values and interests in the region,” the Taiwanese president further noted on her official Twitter profile.

On the other hand, Japanese parliamentarian Keiji Furuya, who is on a three-day visit to Taiwan, has called China’s recent missile launches “unacceptable” during a meeting with Tsai, as reported by CNA.

Thus, according to Furuya, China has used U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island as an “excuse” to promote large-scale military exercises around Taiwan.

“The stability of the Taiwan Strait is important not only for Japan’s security but also for the foundation of the international community,” the Japanese parliamentarian has noted, adding that Taiwan and Japan should continue to deepen their ties to ensure regional stability, as reported by DPA.