Taiwan’s president said Sunday he is still open to working with China to build “mutual understanding and reconciliation,” days after Beijing launched military exercises around the self-governing island in response to his inauguration speech.
President Lai Ching-te was sworn in on Monday and China โ which claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and considers Lai a โdangerous separatistโ โ launched military games around the island three days later.
Fighter jets, naval vessels and coast guard vessels surrounded Taiwan until Friday evening, in what Chinese military analysts said was to practice seizing it.