Taiwan must protect its sovereignty, know its own history

21/7/2024 16:35

        Taiwan must protect its sovereignty and know its own culture and history, President Lai Ching-te said on Sunday, rejecting what he said was the previous mistaken belief the island could serve as a base to "retake" China.
        
        Lai, who took office in May, and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), champion Taiwan's separate identity from China, a position that frequently angers Beijing which views the island as an inviolable part of Chinese territory.
        
        Speaking to the DPP's annual convention, Lai said those who fought to bring democracy to Taiwan - martial law only ended in 1987 - had a clear understanding of the island's place in the world.
        
        They "did not hesitate to shed blood and used their lives to debunk the mistaken idea that 'Taiwan is a base to retake the mainland', and instituted the national policy of putting Taiwan first," said Lai, who is also DPP chairman.
        
        Chiang Kai-shek and his defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists.