As China intensifies its claim on Taiwan, the president of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen in a pre-election speech showed nerve to counter China's "one country, two systems" policy.
Tsai Ing-wen told the cheering supporters of her governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) at a rally that "the existence of Taiwan and Taiwanese people's insistence on freedom and democracy are not a provocation to anyone", according to Reuters.
Emerging as a strong force against China's move to take over the island nation, Tsai said under her leadership more nations regard Taiwan's democracy and security as important to the peace.
In a show of its strength to the US and threat to Taiwan, China staged war games near the island nation a few months ago after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the nation.
Chinese fighter jets daily hovered in the skies across the median lines in the narrow Taiwan Strait.
President Tsai, campaigning for local polls to elect Mayors and councilors that was usually about local issues, rather chose to discuss vital issue of China's aggressive policies.
Tsai's DPP and opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) are closely fighting to outwit each other. While DPP came in 2020presidential polls, KMT made huge gains in the local election in 2018, according to the report.
KMT ruled China until the end of Chinese civil war in1949 before fleeing to Taiwan and the party "traditionally favours close relations with Beijing".
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, with Taiwan on the agenda, according to the report.