Taiwan Calls On China To ‘Unclench Its Fists’ To Earn Respect

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te urged China on Friday to “unclench its fists” ahead of expected Chinese war games around the island, saying Beijing would not win any respect for military drills.

New Round

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, is expected to launch another round of exercises in response to Lai’s trip to the Pacific, which has included stopovers in Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam, according to security sources.

Speaking to reporters in the Pacific Islands nation of Palau on the final day of his tour, Lai said he hoped China, which has condemned his visits to the United States, would return to the rules-based international order.

“It’s better to open your hands than to clench your fists. Only by doing so can China win respect from the international community,” Lai said in comments carried live on Taiwanese television.

“No matter how many military drills China stages and how many ships and aircraft they dispatch to intimidate regional countries, China will not win the respect from any country,” he added, urging Beijing to stop “unsettling and regrettable” unilateral actions.

Asked about possible Chinese drills, Lai said Taiwan’s engagement with the world “should not be used by authoritarian countries as an excuse for provocation”.

Red Lines

Taiwan’s government has a full grasp of the security situation in the region and has made the “best preparations” to ensure the security of the Taiwan Strait separating the island from China, he said.

Beijing detests Lai, branding him a “separatist”, and has rejected multiple offers of talks by him.

A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, asked on Friday about the potential for war games, said the Taiwan issue was the “core of China’s core interests”.

“It is the first red line that cannot be crossed in Sino-U.S. relations, and China’s determination to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering,” Lin Jian told a routine news conference in Beijing.

Lai reiterated that while Taiwan wants engagement with China, he cannot have any illusions about peace and that Taiwan must continue to strengthen its defences.

The Trump Factor

China has staged two rounds of war games around Taiwan so far this year, one in May shortly after Lai’s inauguration and another in October following his national day speech.

In Guam on Thursday, Lai spoke with U.S. congressional leaders, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, ahead of Donald Trump returning to the White House on Jan. 20.

Trump unsettled Taiwan during the U.S. presidential campaign by saying the island “should pay us for defence” and accusing Taiwan of taking most of the U.S. semiconductor industry’s business.

However, Lai expressed confidence in Taiwan’s strong bipartisan support in the U.S. and optimism about deepening ties with the incoming administration, emphasizing Taiwan’s resolve to resist authoritarian expansion.

(With inputs from Reuters)