Overview

• President Lai Ching-te told a Rotary International audience that Taiwan has historical and legal proof to back its status as an independent nation.
• China’s Taiwan Affairs Office accused Lai of distorting history with a separatist agenda and the People’s Daily labeled his remarks a harmful provocation.
• Beijing has refused to engage with Lai since he took office in May and has intensified military pressure, including recent warplanes crossing the Taiwan Strait median line.
• Sunday’s address was the first of ten planned speeches on national defense and cross-strait issues aimed at uniting Taiwan’s population.
• The United States remains Taiwan’s primary military backer and is urging restraint to avoid an unnecessary conflict with Beijing.