TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te once again showed goodwill toward China and offered cooperation on Sunday after two days of Chinese war games near the island, saying he looked forward to promoting mutual understanding and reconciliation.
China, which claims to democratically rule Taiwan as its own territory, held the military drills on Thursday and Friday, describing them as “punishment” after Lai's inauguration speech on Monday which Beijing described as another push for the island's formal independence.
China has repeatedly criticized Lai, calling him a “separatist.” Lai rejects Beijing's claims to sovereignty and says only the people of Taiwan can decide their future. He repeatedly offered to hold talks but was rejected.
Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the southern city of Tainan, Lai called on China to “share the heavy responsibility for regional stability with Taiwan,” according to comments provided by his party.
Lai, who won the election in January, said he “also looks forward to promoting mutual understanding and reconciliation with China through exchanges and cooperation, creating mutual benefit and moving toward a mode of peace and common prosperity.”
He thanked the United States and other countries for expressing their concern about the Chinese exercises.
Lai added, “The international community will not accept any country causing waves in the Taiwan Strait and affecting regional stability.”
The Taiwan government condemned the Chinese war maneuvers.
Over the past four years, China has carried out regular military activities around Taiwan as it seeks to pressure the island's government.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that the garrison on Erdan Island, part of the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands located next to the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou, found a “crude” cardboard box containing paper with handwritten political slogans on it. Simplified Chinese characters used in China.
The ministry said the box was suspected to have been dropped by a drone outside its line of sight, adding: “It is a typical cognitive operation hoax.”
In 2022, Taiwan shot down a drone off Kinmen after complaining of harassment for days.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense did not respond to calls outside working hours.
The Chinese military has continued a series of propaganda videos and animations directed at Taiwan since the start of the exercises.
The Eastern Theater Command, which ran the exercise, showed a video on Sunday showing missiles being fired in what it referred to in English as “cross-strait killing.”