Tsai warns of ‘catastrophic consequences’ if Taiwan falls
The Hindu
‘Can’t let authoritarianism have upper hand over democracy’
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen warned of “catastrophic consequences” if the island were to fall to China and vowed to “do whatever it takes” to guard against threats in an article published on Tuesday.
Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which views the self-ruled democratic island as its territory to be re-taken one day, by force if necessary. President Xi Jinping has described the seizure of Taiwan as “inevitable” and Beijing has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure since Ms. Tsai’s 2016 election, as she views the island as “already independent” and not part of a “one China”.
Nearly 150 Chinese warplanes had breached Taiwan’s ADIZ since Friday when Beijing marked its National Day with its then-biggest aerial show of force, buzzing the island with 38 planes.Ms. Tsai warned a failure to defend Taiwan would be “catastrophic” for both the island and the wider region in an article she wrote for Foreign Affairs published on Tuesday.
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