TAIPEI: Taiwan won’t bow all the way down to totalitarianism, President Lai Ching-te stated on Thursday (Dec 5) within the US territory of Guam, calling Taiwan and the US “brothers”.
Lai arrived in Guam, a significant US navy base, late on Wednesday on what’s formally solely a one-night stopover as a part of a tour of three Pacific island countries which preserve formal diplomatic ties with Chinese language-claimed Taiwan.
China, which claims Taiwan as a part of its territory and whose navy operates across the island every day, has condemned the US for permitting his transit stops, which included two days in Hawaii at the start of the trip.
Addressing members of the abroad Taiwan group in addition to Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Northern Mariana Islands Governor Arnold Palacios at a lunch, Lai stated Taiwan’s path from the “darkness of dictatorship” to democracy was laborious fought.
“I hope that each one of our compatriots, irrespective of the place you might be, will make a joint dedication to proceed to deepen our democracy and defend it, and that we’ll by no means bow all the way down to totalitarianism, proper?” Lai stated, to applause, in feedback carried dwell on Taiwan tv stations.
Mentioning the victory of Taiwan’s baseball staff at a global championship in Japan final month, Lai stated he needed to be “humble” and say that Taiwan beat the US staff on its approach to the finals.
“Though we’re brothers, on the subject of baseball you need to depend on power,” he added.
Lai additionally thanked the US for arranging his transits by way of each Guam and Hawaii.
