“Stop threatening Taiwan,” says its new president William Lai to China

Taiwan’s new president, William Lai, has called on China to stop threatening the island and accept the existence of its democracy.

He urged Beijing to replace confrontation with dialogue, shortly after being sworn in on Monday.

He also said Taiwan would never back down from intimidation by China, which has long claimed the island as its own.

China responded by saying, “Taiwan independence is a dead end.”

“Whatever pretext or banner under which it is pursued, the campaign for Taiwan independence is doomed to failure,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at the a daily press briefing Monday afternoon.

Beijing dislikes Mr. Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which they view as pro-independence. And he has stepped up military incursions into Taiwan’s waters and airspace since his election victory in January.

Such Chinese military incursions have become commonplace in recent years, sparking fears of conflict. In his speech, Mr. Lai called it “the greatest strategic challenge to global peace and stability.”

But the 64-year-old also sticks closely to the formula used by his predecessor, President Tsai Ing-wen, whose legacy will be defined by her careful but firm stewardship of Beijing.

Mr. Lai, a doctor-turned-politician, won a three-way presidential race in January, securing an unprecedented third term in office. He had been Ms Tsai’s vice president since 2020, and before that, prime minister. In his youth, he was known as a more radical politician who openly called for Taiwan’s independence, much to Beijing’s annoyance. He called him a “troublemaker” before the election, and Chinese state media even suggested he should be prosecuted for secession.

The Chinese government has not yet issued a statement on Lai’s inauguration. However, the Chinese embassy in the UK held a press conference over the weekend, asking the UK government not to approve it. And earlier last week, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office warned that the island’s new leader “must seriously” consider whether he wants peaceful development or confrontation.

And just as Mr. Lai was being sworn in, China’s Commerce Ministry announced sanctions against several U.S. companies “involved in arms sales to Taiwan.”

But on Monday, Mr. Lai struck a much more conciliatory note. He reiterated that he would do nothing to change the status quo – an ambiguous diplomatic status, which does not recognize Taiwan as a country despite its constitution and sovereign government. China insists on this point and accuses Taiwan’s main allies, such as the United States, of modifying this delicate agreement by supporting the island.

Aiming for peace and stability, Lai also said he would like to see a reopening of trade across the Taiwan Strait, including Chinese tourist groups coming to Taiwan. But he said the island’s residents should be under no illusions about the Chinese threat and that Taiwan needed to further strengthen its defenses.

This too was a continuation of Tsai’s policies. Taiwan’s former president believed that strengthening defense and gaining support from key allies such as the United States and Japan were essential to thwarting China’s invasion plans. Its biggest critics say the military investment risks provoking China, making Taiwan even more vulnerable.

Nonetheless, annual defense spending has increased to around $20bn (£16bn) under Ms Tsai, and Mr Lai has promised even more funds. Taiwan has purchased new battle tanks, upgraded its fleet of F-16 fighter jets and purchased new ones, and built and launched a fleet of new missile ships to patrol the 100-mile Taiwan Strait. Last September saw the completion of what Ms. Tsai considers the crowning achievement of her military program: Taiwan’s first indigenously developed submarine.

Taiwan’s own allies are also closely monitoring the situation, to see if its rhetoric is likely to further escalate tensions. Mr. Lai’s caution was also aimed at his American audience. Her vice-president Hsiao Bi-Khim, widely seen as Ms Tsai’s protégé, is another source of assurance for Washington. The 52-year-old was born in Japan and raised primarily in the United States, where she also served as Taiwan’s representative for three years.

Mr. Lai also faces big challenges at home. Unemployment and the cost of living cost the DPP the youth vote in January, and Taiwan’s economy appears heavily dependent on its hugely successful semiconductor industry – it supplies more than half of the world’s microchips .

And a divided Parliament, where the DPP no longer has a majority, will likely deny it a honeymoon period. The differences came into the spotlight this weekend when lawmakers were caught fighting in Parliament over proposed reforms. The bitter dispute and protests that followed marred Mr. Lai’s speech.

But how he deals with Beijing will be the biggest question determining his presidency, especially since the two sides have had no formal communication since 2016.

Lawyer Hsu Chih-ming, who attended the inaugurations, told BBC Chinese that Taiwan had fared relatively well under Ms Tsai, but added that it was necessary to maintain “good communications” with the China.

“Lai said he is a ‘practical worker for Taiwan independence.’ I hope he will not emphasize this point too much and worsen cross-Strait relations,” said he declared. “Otherwise we wouldn’t all be able to escape if a war broke out.”

With additional reporting from Joy Chang, BBC Chinese