TAIPEI, TAIWAN—President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan on Saturday called for domestic and international support of the island’s de facto independence, days after China’s leader, Xi Jinping, warned that unification with China was inevitable. “It is impossible for me or, in my view, any responsible politician in Taiwan to accept President Xi Jinping’s recent remarks without betraying the trust and the will of the people of Taiwan,” Tsai said in a briefing for foreign reporters. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Taipei on January 5, 2019. Xi, the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao, reiterated in his speech that Beijing would use force if necessary to prevent Taiwan from seeking formal independence. “I myself expect all of Taiwan’s political parties to clearly state, ‘We reject “one country, two systems,’” Tsai said Saturday.

Source: thestar January 05, 2019 21:45 UTC