Taiwan determined to safeguard freedom, democracy: President Tsai

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday that her recent overseas trip, which included the United States, showed the world Taiwan’s determination to defend freedom and democracy, even as it prompted China to stage war games around the island.
Tsai met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles last week at the end of her tour, which included stops in Guatemala and Belize.
An infuriated China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory with no right to the trappings of a state, launched military drills around the island starting on Saturday.
“Through this trip we again sent a message to the international community that Taiwan is determined to safeguard freedom and democracy which won acknowledgment and support from our democratic partners,” Tsai said as she met Canadian lawmakers at her office in Taipei.
“Faced with continued authoritarian expansionism it is even more critical for democracies to actively unite,” she added. “Canada is a very important democratic partner. We are willing to do our utmost to jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy with Canada and many more like-minded international partners.”
Despite the tensions with China, Tsai looked relaxed as she greeted the 10 Canadian legislators, even cracking a joke after the interpreter said “bonjour”, the French word for hello, in translating her opening remarks into English.