By Ann Wang
YILAN, Taiwan, Dec 2 (Reuters) – There is no room for compromise when it comes to Taiwan’s security, while freedom and democracy are foundational values that have nothing to do with ideological disputes, President Lai Ching-te told army reservists on Tuesday.
Lai last week announced a $40 billion supplementary defence budget to underscore Taiwan’s determination to defend itself against a rising military threat from China, which claims the democratically-governed island as its own territory.
Speaking to reservists in the northeastern county of Yilan, Lai said that in the face of China’s coercion and harassment the government had to spend more on its defences and better prepare should the worst come to pass.
“National security allows absolutely no room for compromise. National sovereignty and the core values of freedom and democracy are the very foundation of our nation,” he added.
“They are not about ideological disputes; they are the common position of all the people of Taiwan.”
Taiwan must rely on strength in order to obtain true peace, Lai said.
“Peace cannot be achieved merely through a piece of paper called a peace agreement, nor can it – nor will it ever – be achieved by yielding to the demands of an aggressor,” he added.
“Even when engaging in reconciliation, we must have strong power as our backing in order to protect the overall interests of the nation. Without sufficient strength as support, so-called reconciliation will ultimately degenerate into surrender.”
RESERVE FORCES REFORM
Taiwan’s government announced a reform of the training of its reserve forces in 2021, including doubling down on combat and shooting exercises. The following year it extended compulsory military service to one year from four months.
Lai on Tuesday watched reservists flying drones, firing guns, throwing grenades and applying tourniquets to comrades during training.
While Taiwan has been strengthening domestic production of weapons, it still relies heavily on the United States for big-ticket items like aircraft, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties.
Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim said this week that the government also appreciated U.S. support in training its military. U.S. military programmes for Taiwan are rarely discussed in public.
“We are very thankful for some U.S. initiatives to help train our people,” Hsiao said on the U.S. podcast Bannon’s WarRoom. Steve Bannon was an advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump during his first presidency.
“I think the Taiwanese will feel greater confidence if we know that we are being trained by the best in the world,” she added.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai and his government reject Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.
(Reporting by Ann Wang; Additional reporting and writing by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Michael Perry)
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