TAIPEI (Reuters) – Armed confrontation between Taiwan and China is “absolutely not an option”, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Monday, as she also pledged to boost the island’s defences and reiterated her willingness to talk to Beijing.
“I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides. Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait,” Tsai said in her national day speech.
(Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
