China warned self-ruled Taiwan that it would “reap the consequences” of promoting formal independence, a red line for Beijing which claims the island as its own. Taiwan’s government hit back, saying it was a reality that the Republic of China, the island’s formal name, was a sovereign country and that no matter what China said it could not change this fact.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has said that “Taiwan independence” means the island is not part of China and that Taipei and Beijing are not subordinate to each other. Speaking at an event marking the Democratic Progressive Party’s anniversary, Lai stressed that sovereignty belongs to Taiwan’s 23 million people and that only they can decide the island’s future. His remarks come amid renewed attention on US-China-Taiwan dynamics following recent high-level talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, which raised questions in Taipei over Washington’s long-term backing.
#Taiwan #China #DonaldTrump #XiJinping #USChina #Geopolitics #WorldNews #BreakingNews #TaiwanStrait
