TAIPEI, Taiwan – Chinese attempts at military coercion only strengthen Taiwan’s resolve to defend itself, the president of the self-governing island republic said Tuesday. Tsai Ing-wen’s comments followed what Taiwan’s defense ministry called a major foray by Chinese military planes into airspace just south of the island on Monday, as well as by warships in the surrounding waters. Tsai told a security forum in Taipei that China’s actions “threaten Taiwan and other like-minded countries in the region.”“As president, I want to tell you that Taiwan is not intimidated. Our military forces have the capacity, determination and commitment to defend Taiwan and not allow coercion to dictate our own future,” Tsai said. Taiwan said last week that its planes warned off Chinese military aircraft that crossed the center line in the Taiwan Strait, and called China’s move a provocation seeking to alter the status quo in the waterway dividing the island from mainland China.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 16, 2019 11:15 UTC