Taiwan leader urges China for 鈥榗alm鈥� talks as pressure grows

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)

TAIPEI, Taiwan: Taiwan鈥檚 president has urged China to engage in 鈥渃alm and rational鈥� dialogue to maintain peace, vowing not to give in to Beijing鈥檚 recent moves to 鈥渢hreaten and intimidate鈥� the self-ruled island.
Tsai Ing-wen said in a year-end news conference Saturday that the two sides across the Taiwan Strait should hold talks with 鈥渇lexible attitudes鈥� to find a way to maintain peaceful and stable relations.
Earlier this week, China鈥檚 first aircraft carrier and five other warships held drills that passed by Taiwan and sailed through the contested South China Sea. Taipei deployed fighter jets to monitor the fleet.
China suspended contacts with Tsai鈥檚 administration in June over her refusal to endorse China鈥檚 claim that Taiwan and the mainland are part of a single Chinese nation.