Lai Qingde: Taiwan Strait War Will Bring Disaster to China

Lai Qingde: Taiwan Strait War Will Bring Disaster to China

According to a Reuters report from Taipei on April 15, Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Qingde said on Saturday that a war in the Taiwan Strait would bring a "global disaster" that China cannot afford.

China, which considers Taiwan its territory, held military drills around the island this month, expressing anger at a meeting between Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker McCarthy in Los Angeles.

China says it has tested precision strikes and blockades against Taiwan, whose government has condemned the drills and rejected Beijing's territorial claims.

Lai Ching-teh, now Taiwan's vice president, said at an election campaign in southern Taiwan that there are no winners in war and he hoped China would understand that correctly. "China should be soberly aware that once a war is launched against Taiwan, Taiwan will suffer direct damage, but it will also cause a global disaster that China cannot bear."

Lai Qingde officially became the Democratic Progressive Party's presidential candidate this week. Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang, has historically supported close ties with China and has repeatedly criticized the DPP for being hostile and hostile to Beijing. The KMT has yet to decide on its presidential candidate.

Lai said that since China has not given up the use of force against Taiwan, Taiwan must be prepared for defense, but noted that no one is willing to "actively attack China". He said he would not pass up any chance for peace, reiterating Tsai's call for dialogue with China on the basis of equality and respect.

China rejected Tsai Ing-wen's call for talks, seeing her as a separatist. Both she and Lai Qingde said that only the people of Taiwan can determine the future of Taiwan.