Taiwan leader tells China war ‘absolutely not an option’

China’s threats of military action against Taiwan are “absolutely not an option” and will “only push our two sides further from each other,”
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Monday. Speaking on Taiwan’s National Day, Tsai said China should not mistake Taiwan’s multiparty democratic political system for weakness and “attempt to divide Taiwanese society.” “I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides,” Tsai said. “
Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait,” Tsai added.
Fighter jets and a Chinook helicopter displaying Taiwan’s flag flew overhead while the band from Taipei’s First Girls’ High School played hits ranging from the Beatles to Lady Gaga. National Day festivities included international guests such as Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr., whose country’s blue and yellow flag flew alongside Taiwan’s red banner with its blue square and white star.