Peace through strength, Taiwan president says on China battle anniversary
Lai said the NT$1.12 trillion defense budget shows Taiwan’s commitment to self-defense as China’s coast guard steps up patrols near Kinmen.
- On Sunday, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te visited the frontline island of Kinmen to mark the 68th anniversary of the 1958 clash, declaring that peace is only secured through strength.
- The 1958 battle marked the start of the second Taiwan Strait crisis, the last time Taiwanese and Chinese forces battled on a large scale; Taiwan has controlled Kinmen and Matsu since the Republic of China government fled to Taipei in 1949.
- Planned defense spending will exceed T$1 trillion in 2027, the government announced Thursday, as Lai emphasized the need to maintain national sovereignty through continuous military investment.
- China's coast guard has conducted regular "law enforcement" patrols around Kinmen in Taiwan-controlled waters since early 2024, to Taipei's anger, while Beijing repeatedly denounces Lai as a "separatist."
- Referring to Chinese tactics, Lai stated that for 68 years China has not stopped its "ambitions for external expansion," bringing "unease" across the Indo-Pacific, though Taiwan rejects Beijing's sovereignty.
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(Taipei=Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Cheol-mun = Taiwan President Lai Ching-te attended the commemoration ceremony for the 'Kinmen Bombardment' held on Kinmen Island, Taiwan's frontline island, and the Republic of China (Taiwan...
Peace through Strength, Taiwan President Says on China Battle ...
Taiwan must uphold spirit of 823: Lai
Even in peacetime, forgetting war is dangerous, but Taiwan will uphold the spirit of those who were on the front lines of the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis and not cede an inch of territory, President William Lai (賴清德) said in Kinmen County yesterday during an event marking the 68th anniversary of the
Kinmen defense in 1958 example of 'peace through strength': Lai
Taipei, Aug. 23 (CNA) Calling the successful defense of Kinmen in 1958 a prime example of "peace through strength," President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Sunday urged cross-party unity in supporting the 2027 defense budget to continue strengthening Taiwan's defenses against a potential Chinese invasion.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te attended and laid a wreath at the 68th anniversary memorial service for the Battle of Kinmen on the 23rd. The event, which honored the victims of the Battle of Kinmen—a major armed conflict between Taiwan and China that broke out in 1958 and continued until 1979—was conducted solemnly amidst heavy rain.
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