President Tsai Ing-wen says major global powers are finally bringing Taiwan into the conversation at international conferences. That came during an interview with Japanese magazine Bungei Shunjū, published on Tuesday.
President Tsai Ing-wen is thanking countries such as Japan, England, and the United States for stressing the importance of peace and stability in Taiwan. Most notably, the leaders of the G7 nations issued a joint statement in June that, for the first time, mentioned peace in the Taiwan Strait.
Tsai says that China poses a threat to Taiwan. She says Japan and the United States are responding to that threat by dispatching warships into the Taiwan Strait.
Tsai says China considers the response of the international community when planning its policies. That's why Tsai says building stronger ties with Taiwan will force China to be more cautious.
Tsai says she hopes that Taiwan can continue to build relationships with other countries, especially since Taiwan's own military power is limited. She says that opening the global conversation to include Taiwan will help Taiwan maintain stability in the region.
Tsai says that Taiwan needs support and will not submit to China's pressure. She says she plans to continue to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense strategy.
Tsai says that Taiwan must still maintain economic ties with China, to a degree. However, she also says that Taiwan is in the process of developing new markets, so that it does not rely so heavily on China. Tsai says that diversifying and extending Taiwan's economic reach will lead to more investment and trade opportunities in the future.