Taiwan's President: No Backing Down on Territory

Taiwan's President, Lai Ching-te, made it clear the island won't give up any space to China. He was visiting the Kinmen islands to celebrate the 75th anniversary of a battle victory. This comes after two weeks of military activity from both China and Taiwan. Lai said the islands, including Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, won't lose any ground. He emphasized that freedom and democracy need to be protected. He didn't mention China by name but said no outsiders can change the future of the islands.China, on the other hand, claims Taiwan as its own and is ready to use force. A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said China and Taiwan will unite eventually. This dispute started a long time ago, during a civil war where the winning side, communists, never ruled democratic Taiwan. The current president of Taiwan, Lai, has been more vocal about protecting their sovereignty since taking office in May. He also wants respectful dialogue and interactions with China. But China stopped high-level talks with Taiwan in 2016 and has been increasing pressure since. China's recent military exercises near Taiwan show they're serious. Taiwan also conducted drills and welcomed ships from the US and Canada passing through the strait.