Taiwan will not provoke confrontation with China, does not seek conflict
Taiwan's vice-president Hsiao Bi-khim said that Chinese pressure on Taiwan had only escalated over the past few years.
TAIPEI - Taiwan does not seek conflict with China and will not provoke confrontation and Beijing's 'aggressive' military posturing was counterproductive, Vice-President Hsiao Bi-khim said on July 18.
China considers democratic Taiwan as part of its own territory and calls President Lai Ching-te a 'separatist'. Taiwan's government disputes China's claim.
Speaking to the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club in the capital Taipei, Ms Hsiao said that Chinese pressure on Taiwan had only escalated over the past few years but that the island's people were peace-loving.
'We do not seek conflict; we will not provoke confrontation,' she said, reiterating Mr Lai's offer of talks between Taipei and Beijing.
For decades, Taiwan's people and business have contributed to China's growth and prosperity, which has only been possible under a peaceful and stable environment, Ms Hsiao added.
'Aggressive military posturing is counterproductive and deprives the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait of opportunities to pursue an agenda of growth and prosperity,' she said.
'Defending the status quo (with China) is our choice, not because it is easy, but because it is responsible and consistent with the interests of our entire region.' REUTERS
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore 30% of aviation jobs could be redesigned due to AI, automation; $200m fund to support workers: CAAS
Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences
Business Global fintech firms expanding in Singapore with larger offices, APAC hubs
Singapore UOB awarded $17.7m in civil suit against Lippo Marina Collection over inflated housing loans
Life Kinokuniya opens third bookstore in Raffles City, weeks ahead of schedule
Business DBS shares rally to a new record as STI clocks yet another high
Singapore 5 foreigners charged over scheme to deliberately get arrested in S'pore to sell sex drugs
Life F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Music acts Lewis Capaldi, Clean Bandit, Spice Girls' Melanie C added
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Mum takes toilet break, 11-year-old takes car, crashes it into drain in Malaysia
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The vehicle skidded off the road and ended up in a drain. A quick bathroom break took an unexpected turn when a mother returned to find her car - and children - missing, Malaysian media reported. A woman had briefly stepped away to use a public toilet while parked during a visit to her sister's house around 10am in Jalan Telok Gong, Klang on July 19 , The Star reported. In her absence, her 11-year-old son decided to get behind the wheel of the Proton Saga car, taking his seven-year-old sibling and their Malaysian cousin along for an impromptu drive to a nearby shop. According to South Klang Officer in Charge of a Police District Assistant Commander Ramli Kasa , the two siblings are United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees cardholders. 'The boy drove the car for about 2km before losing control as they approached the shop,' he said in a statement. The vehicle skidded off the road and ended up in a drain, according to Bernama . Fortunately, no one was injured, and the car only suffered minor damage. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise Singapore Witness stand not arena for humiliation in sex offence cases, judge reminds lawyers Asia Japan's Ishiba vows to stay on despite historic election setback Business Bigger, quieter, greener: High-volume low-speed fans see rising demand in warming Singapore Singapore New home owners in Singapore find kampung spirit on BTO Telegram groups Singapore What would it take for S'pore to shed the dirty image of its blue recycling bins? Business DBS hits record high above $47; CDL up after director Philip Yeo announces resignation World Harvard faculty who fear school's destruction urge Trump deal The incident has since gone viral online. Police investigations are ongoing and the police have recorded statements from the parents of the 11-year-old.
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
Trump, Xi might meet ahead of or during October Apec summit in South Korea: SCMP
US President Donald Trump might visit China before going to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit between Oct 30 and Nov 1, or he could meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Apec event in South Korea, the South China Morning Post reported on Sunday citing multiple sources. The two countries have been trying to negotiate an end to an escalating tit-for-tat tariff war that has upended global trade and supply chains. The two sides have discussed a potential meeting between the leaders in the region this year, but they have not confirmed a date or location yet, according to a person familiar with the matter. Trump has sought to impose tariffs on US importers for virtually all foreign goods, which he says will stimulate domestic manufacturing and which critics say will make many consumer goods more expensive for Americans. He has called for a universal base tariff rate of 10 per cent on goods imported from all countries, with higher rates for imports from the most 'problematic' ones, including China: imports from there now have the highest tariff rate of 55 per cent. Trump has set a deadline of Aug 12 for the US and China to reach a durable tariffs agreement. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to a request for comment about the reported plans for a meeting with Xi in the autumn. The two countries' most recent high-level meeting was on July 11, when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had what both described as a productive and positive meeting in Malaysia about how trade negotiations should proceed. Rubio said then that Trump had been invited to China to meet with Xi, and said that both leaders 'want it to happen.' On Friday, China Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said China wants to bring its trade ties with the US back to a stable footing and that recent talks in Europe showed there was no need for a tariff war. REUTERS
Business Times
2 hours ago
- Business Times
Record fall in July UK property prices: Rightmove
[LONDON] Asking prices for newly advertised British houses and apartments recorded their biggest July fall in more than 20 years this month, property site Rightmove said on Monday. Prices for property put on sale during Rightmove's July period - which runs from June 8 to July 12 - were 1.2 per cent lower than for property marketed a month earlier, the biggest June to July drop since the series began in late 2001. Compared with a year ago, asking prices were 0.1 per cent higher. 'With the number of available homes still at a decade-high level, summer sellers are pricing even more competitively to attract buyer interest,' Rightmove said. British property sales surged earlier this year but then fell sharply after the end of a temporary tax break on many purchases in April. 'Discerning buyers can quickly spot when a home looks over-priced compared to the many others that may be available in their area,' Rightmove property expert Colleen Babcock said. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up While sales volumes are still running at around 5 per cent above 2024 levels, Rightmove said it was cutting its forecast for price rises over 2025 as a whole to 2 per cent from 4 per cent due to the high level of competition between sellers. Overall, Rightmove expects 1.15 million property sales in 2025. Prices fell most in inner London, which saw a 2.1 per cent monthly drop, while the biggest rise was in north-east England where there was a 1.2 per cent rise. Earlier this month Nationwide Building Society, Britain's second-biggest mortgage lender, said its house price index dropped by 0.8 per cent in June, the biggest seasonally adjusted monthly fall since November 2022. Official data, which is based on completed purchases, showed that house prices in May were 3.9 per cent higher than a year earlier, down sharply from annual growth of 7.0 per cent in March. Rightmove said smaller price rises, combined with strong pay growth and lower mortgage rates, were making property purchases more affordable. Typical mortgage rates for a two-year fixed period have dropped to 4.53 per cent from 5.34 per cent over the past year, while average wages rose 5.0 per cent in the year to May. REUTERS
