CaliToday (08/10/2025): In a direct appeal to an American audience, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has issued a stark warning that a Chinese takeover of the democratic island would not only upend regional stability but would also directly threaten the domestic interests of the United States and empower Beijing in its global rivalry with Washington.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te holds a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan February 14, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang
The remarks, made during a rare interview with a U.S. media outlet, come at a sensitive time. The United States, Taiwan's most crucial international supporter despite a lack of formal diplomatic relations, has not announced any new arms sales to the island since President Donald Trump took office earlier this year. The statement also precedes a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific leaders' summit in South Korea later this month.
Speaking on "The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show," a conservative talk program broadcast on over 400 radio stations, President Lai was asked what message he would have for President Trump regarding his Chinese counterpart.
"I would advise him to pay special attention to the fact that Xi Jinping is not only conducting increasingly large-scale military exercises in the Taiwan Strait but is also expanding his military forces in the East China Sea and the South China Sea," Lai said, according to a transcript released by his office on Tuesday.
Lai framed China's growing military assertiveness as a challenge that extends far beyond Taiwan's shores.
"This challenge is not merely about annexing Taiwan. Once Taiwan is annexed, China will have more power to compete with the United States on the international stage, undermining the rules-based international order," he argued. "Ultimately, this will also affect the domestic interests of the United States. Therefore, I hope President Trump will continue to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on President Lai's remarks.
To counter potential concerns in Washington that Taiwan is not investing enough in its own security, Lai emphasized his administration's commitment to self-defense. He highlighted his goal of raising defense spending to 5% of the gross domestic product by 2030.
"I would tell them that Taiwan is absolutely determined to protect its national security," Lai told the show's hosts. "When Taiwan defends itself, it is also committed to maintaining regional peace and stability."
This appeal comes against the backdrop of long-standing U.S. policy known as "strategic ambiguity," where Washington is legally obligated to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself but does not explicitly state whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.
Beijing, which views the democratically governed island as its own territory, has labeled Lai a "separatist" and has repeatedly rebuffed his offers for dialogue. Lai and his government reject Beijing's sovereignty claims, asserting that only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.