War would bring disaster to China too, says Taiwan presidential contender William Lai
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Taiwan's Vice-President William Lai said a war would have no winners, something he hoped China properly understood.
PHOTO: AFP
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TAIPEI - War over Taiwan would bring about a “global catastrophe” that China would find hard to bear, said Mr William Lai, the presidential candidate for Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), on Saturday.
China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, staged war games around the island expressing its anger at a meeting
China said it had tested precision strikes and a blockade of Taiwan,
Speaking at a campaign event in southern Taiwan’s Tainan, Mr Lai who is Taiwan’s vice-president, said a war would have no winners, something he hoped China properly understood.
“China should clearly realise that once war is launched on Taiwan, Taiwan will admittedly be directly harmed, but it will also cause a global catastrophe China will find hard to bear,” Mr Lai said, according to comments provided by the DPP.
Mr Lai formally became the party’s presidential candidate last Wednesday.
After two terms in office, Ms Tsai is constitutionally barred from running again in next January’s election.
Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), traditionally favours close ties with China and has repeatedly criticised the DPP for being hostile and antagonistic to Beijing.
The KMT has yet to decide its presidential candidate.
Mr Lai said that as China had not renounced the use of force over Taiwan, the island must make ready its defences, but noted that nobody wants to “take the initiative to attack China”.
He said he would not abandon any chance at peace, reiterating Ms Tsai’s call for dialogue with China based on equality and respect.
China has rebuffed Ms Tsai’s calls for talks, believing her to be a separatist.
Both she and Mr Lai say that only Taiwan’s people can decide the island’s future.
Mr Lai angered China in 2018 while he was premier, telling Parliament he was a “Taiwan independence worker” and that his position was that Taiwan was a sovereign, independent country – a red line for Beijing. REUTERS
