Lai pushes defense, condemns compromise with ChinaBy Su Yung-yao and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer“Compromising with authoritarian regimes comes at the cost of sovereignty and democracy,” President William Lai (賴清德) wrote on Facebook today, ahead of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). In the past few years, China has continuously carried out “gray zone” harassment and military intimidation in the Taiwan Strait, seriously undermining regional peace and stability, Lai said. President William Lai speaks at the Presidential Office in Taipei on Tuesday. The world knows that protecting Taiwan is key to protecting freedom and democracy, Lai said. Taiwan hopes to partner with advanced defense industry nations such as the US to jointly establish a line of defense that safeguards democratic values, he added.

Source: Taipei Times April 10, 2026 06:05 UTC