Pressed by Beijing, Taiwan president pledges more security

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. (File)

President Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan will step up security to respond to military threats from China. Tsai’s comments Sunday in responses posted online to questions from the public follow mounting pressure by Beijing, which claims the self-ruled island as its own territory and has sent fighter jets near its coast.

Tsai wrote, “We will strengthen our work for the whole society’s security.”

Tsai, elected in 2016, has rejected Beijing’s contention that the two sides, separated since a civil war in 1949, are “one China”.

Tsai gave no details of possible new measures but her government is encouraging development of a domestic arms industry to reduce reliance on imported weapons.