China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its territory, has threatened to annex it by force and has held several military drills around the island since Lai took office.

"Taiwan is clearly a country," Lai said in a speech met with cheers at the Rotary Club in New Taipei.

"Conducting diplomacy externally, and having national defense capabilities, this is sovereignty," he said, adding that "from any perspective... We (Taiwan) are a country."

Lai said China has distorted the definition of the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to claim that Taiwan is not a sovereign state.

The resolution granted the People's Republic of China representation at the UN General Assembly.

Lai's speech was the first of 10 he will make on a tour of Taiwan aimed at "uniting the country" ahead of public votes in July on whether to recall 24 opposition lawmakers.

The Taiwanese leader has made similar claims in the past, insisting that Taiwan and China are "not subordinate to each other".

Beijing detests Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's soverignty, slamming his "separatist position" is "doomed to fail" and warning that "pursuing Taiwanese independence" means "war".