> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Taiwan Will Not Surrender Its Freedom, Lai Tells China - URL: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/taiwan-will-not-surrender-its-freedom-lai-tells-china/ - Published: 2026-10-10T09:16:09.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-10T09:16:09.000Z - Description: Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said the island would pursue peace and dialogue but would not surrender its freedom or accept subordination to China. He defended higher military investment as necessary to deter conflict and protect Taiwan’s democracy. - Author: TGV Desk - Tags: Taiwan, China, Lai Ching-te, Xi Jinping, Taiwan Strait, Indo-Pacific, United States, The Day So Far, Live Wire Taiwan will pursue peace and dialogue but will not surrender its freedom or accept subordination to China, President Lai Ching-te said in a National Day address shaped by growing military pressure around the island. Speaking outside the Presidential Office in Taipei on October 10, Lai said Taiwan’s expanding defence preparations were intended to prevent conflict rather than provoke Beijing. He argued that meaningful dialogue could take place only when both sides approached each other with parity and dignity. “Taiwan cherishes peace, but we will not give up our freedom. We are open to exchanges, but will not accept subordination,” Lai said in his [2026 National Day address](https://english.president.gov.tw/News/7226?ref=theglobalvoice.com). > Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te: Taiwan cherishes peace, but will not give up freedom; Taiwan is willing to engage in exchanges, but will not accept being belittled. Taiwan is determined not to let authoritarianism erode democracy or fear replace freedom, and to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific. > > — Clash Report (@clashreport) [October 10, 2026](https://x.com/clashreport/status/2108836054069330354?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=theglobalvoice.com) Lai also called on democracies across the Indo-Pacific to work together to protect regional stability. He said Taiwan’s people had a right to exist and determine their own future, warning that peace could not depend entirely on goodwill while military and political pressure continued to increase. Taiwan governs itself under the formal name Republic of China, with its own elected government, military and currency. Beijing considers the island part of Chinese territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control. Taiwan rejects that claim and maintains that its future can be decided only by its approximately 23 million people. The National Day commemorates the 1911 uprising that led to the establishment of the Republic of China. Its government relocated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong’s communist forces, which established the People’s Republic of China on the mainland. Lai linked Taiwan’s present position to the island’s democratic transformation. This year marks 30 years since Taiwan held its first direct presidential election, conducted in 1996 despite Chinese missile tests and military exercises intended to intimidate voters. Taiwan has accelerated the modernisation of its armed forces as China deploys increasingly advanced aircraft, warships, missiles and coastguard vessels around the island. Taipei is investing in asymmetric weapons, air and missile defences, drones, reserve forces and civilian preparedness designed to make a blockade or invasion more difficult. Chinese activity has expanded beyond conventional military exercises. Coastguard patrols and vessels believed to be connected to China’s maritime militia have appeared near Taiwan’s eastern coast, an area considered vital for receiving supplies during a possible blockade. Taiwanese authorities regard the operations as an attempt to practise control over waters surrounding the island without formally beginning a war. Pressure has also extended beyond the Taiwan Strait. A California woman was recently [charged with acting as an illegal Chinese agent](https://www.theglobalvoice.com/california-woman-charged-with-spying-on-taiwan-presidents-son-for-china/) after allegedly monitoring Lai’s son and family in the United States. The allegations have reinforced concerns about Beijing’s use of surveillance and influence operations against Taiwanese officials abroad. --- Lai nevertheless welcomed dialogue between Washington and Beijing, saying reduced competition between the two powers could lower the risk of conflict. Taiwan’s security depends heavily on the United States, which supplies weapons to the island while maintaining unofficial relations under its longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity. That dependence has created uncertainty in Taipei amid concern that US President Donald Trump could [soften American support for Taiwan](https://www.theglobalvoice.com/taipei-fears-trump-may-soften-us-support-to-secure-china-deal/) as part of a wider agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The United States has encouraged Taiwan to strengthen its own defences while opposing any unilateral attempt to alter the status quo. Washington does not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent country but is legally required to provide it with the means to defend itself. Lai’s speech attempted to balance deterrence with restraint. He did not announce a move towards formal independence or reject negotiations with Beijing. Instead, he presented stronger defences as the condition required to preserve Taiwan’s democratic system and negotiate without coercion. The immediate test will be China’s response. Previous speeches by Lai have been followed by military exercises and intensified patrols. Any similar reaction would reinforce his central argument that Taiwan’s pursuit of peace is increasingly inseparable from its ability to defend itself.