Taiwan President Lai Ching-te vowed on Thursday to defend the island's sovereignty and strengthen its defenses in a New Year's address, just a day after the conclusion of China's large-scale military drills around Taiwan.
"In the face of China's rising expansionist ambitions, the international community is watching to see whether the Taiwanese people have the resolve to defend themselves," Lai said in his New Year's address.
"As president, my stance has always been clear: to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, strengthen national defense and the resilience of the whole society, and comprehensively construct an effective deterrence and democratic defense mechanism."
China had fired dozens of rockets and deployed several aircraft and warships during military exercises over two days simulating a blockade of Taiwan's ports.
The exercises, named "Justice Mission 2025," included live-fire drills in multiple zones surrounding Taiwan.
The exercises came less than two weeks after the US announced a record $11.1 billion (€9.43 billion) arms package for Taiwan.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island nation.
Lai, in the televised speech from the presidential office, urged for political unity and warned that delays to a proposed $40 billion defense spending bill could be detrimental.
The international community is watching to see whether the Taiwanese people possess the resolve to defend themselves, Lai said.
"Only through unity, not division, can we avoid sending the wrong signals to China that it could invade Taiwan," the president added.
He also said Taiwan remained open to dialogue with China, provided Beijing respects Taiwan's democratic system.
Meanwhile, China's leader Xi Jinping said in a televised New Year's address on Wednesday that a "reunification" with Taiwan cannot be stopped.
"We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship," he said. "The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable."
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