Lai: China’s authoritarian ambitions will not end with Taiwan

Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Wednesday called on democratic nations to take “concrete measures” to counter the threat posed by China’s authoritarian expansion, pointing out that Taiwan is not the only target of Beijing’s efforts to change the international order.

“China’s growing authoritarianism will not stop at Taiwan, nor is Taiwan the only target of China’s economic pressure,” Lai said at the Ketagalan Forum, a security dialogue held annually in Taipei.

“Democratic countries must come together and take concrete action,” Lai said, noting: “Only by working together can we prevent the spread of authoritarianism.”

He said China had sought to intimidate its neighbors and undermine regional peace and stability through military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and the Western Pacific, sometimes conducted in cooperation with Russia.

Lai also accused China of engaging in “weaponized trade” and imposing economic coercion not only on Taiwan, but also on Japan, Korea, Australia, Lithuania and Canada, as well as other countries.

The president also accused Beijing of attempting to “infiltrate and influence elections in Taiwan and other countries” through “cyberattacks, cognitive warfare, disinformation and political interference.”

Lai said Taiwan will “not be intimidated” by challenges from China and will continue to reform the country’s defense, increase spending and strengthen civil defense resilience.

Without elaborating, he added that Taiwan would also seek exchanges and cooperation with other countries in the fields of defense and security, which he said would demonstrate “the strength of deterrence” and “prevent war.”

Economically, Taiwan has also greatly reduced its dependence on the Chinese market, Lai said, citing government figures showing that Taiwan’s investment in China has fallen from a peak of 83.8 percent of total foreign investment in 2010 to 11.4 percent in 2023.

Meanwhile, Taiwan, which is keen to diversify trade, will continue to seek opportunities to negotiate new trade agreements with other countries or join regional trade blocs, Lai added.

However, Lai is aware of Beijing’s multi-pronged pressure campaign against Taiwan and said his government will work to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and is willing to cooperate with China on a reciprocal basis.

“As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will neither give in nor provoke,” he said, adding that its cross-strait policy remains stable and consistent.

Meanwhile, former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the one-day forum, expressed concern about the situation across the Taiwan Strait.

Noda, a member of the Japanese House of Representatives, pointed out that Japan should repeatedly convey to the international community the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Noda, a veteran politician from the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, later also told CNA: “When it comes to Taiwan, there is no difference (in Japan) between the ruling party and the opposition.”

“Taiwan is a very important partner that shares our core values,” said Noda, who was Japanese prime minister from 2011 to 2012.