Taiwan's President William Lai Ching-te stated on social media that the island will not be pressured into abandoning its democracy and sovereignty, days after Taiwan was a major topic of discussion between China and the US.

“Taiwan will not provoke or escalate conflict, but it will also not relinquish its national sovereignty and dignity, or its democratic and free way of life, under pressure,” Lai posted on Sunday. He added that Taiwan has always been a staunch maintainer of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and called China the “root cause of regional instability.”

Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has pledged reunification by force if necessary. US President Donald Trump told Fox News he is not seeking Taiwanese independence, but has not decided on an $11 billion arms package to Taiwan approved by Congress.

Lai emphasized that Taiwan-US security cooperation and arms sales are key to regional stability. “This is not only a US security commitment to Taiwan, but also the most important deterrent force against undermining regional peace and stability,” he said.

Source: www.aljazeera.com