After Trump's Taiwan Comments, President Lai Ching Te Says 'China's Threat To Any Individual Country Is A Threat To The World'

In a recent statement, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te warned that China’s threat to any individual country should be considered a global threat.

What Happened: The statement from the president came during a conference in Taipei, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The conference aimed to align the policies of democratic governments towards China.

“I’d like to stress that China’s threat to any individual country is a threat to the world,” President Lai said.

He also emphasized Taiwan’s dedication to promoting defensive self-reliance and foreign arms purchases.

“Taiwan will do its best to put out a democratic protection umbrella with our democratic partners to keep them away from the threat of authoritarianism,” Lai said at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) conference.

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IPAC, a group linked to an international network of politicians critical of China, reported that eight lawmakers in at least five countries received emails and phone calls from Chinese officials before their departure for Taiwan.

The group condemned the People’s Republic of China’s attempt to interfere in its annual summit, stating, “Democratically elected lawmakers are free to visit and support causes of their choosing. This is the normal exercise of their rights and responsibilities as elected officials.”

Why It Matters: This statement comes in the wake of Taiwan’s increased emphasis on self-reliance after former U.S. President Donald Trump said that the country should compensate the United States for its defense. Taiwan has been boosting its defense spending and modernizing its military in response to potential threats from China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had previously accused the U.S. of trying to provoke China into invading Taiwan.

Furthermore, China suspended talks with the U.S. on arms control and nuclear proliferation in response to the U.S.’s continued arms sales to Taiwan. The U.S. is a key ally and arms supplier to Taiwan.

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Image by Presidential Office Building, Taiwan via Flickr

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari