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".
China criticises UK navy ship transit of Taiwan Strait
Beijing (AFP) June 20, 2025 -
China condemned Britain on Friday for sending a navy ship through the Taiwan Strait, saying the move had "undermined peace and stability" in the sensitive waterway.
Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and claims jurisdiction over the body of water that separates the self-ruled island from the Chinese mainland.
Taiwan's foreign ministry said on Thursday that the British Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Spey sailed through the strait the day before, as part of a freedom of navigation exercise.
China's navy hit back on Friday, accusing London of "publicly hyping up" the move.
Beijing "organised troops to track and warn (the ship) throughout the entire journey, and effectively dealt with it", Liu Runke, a spokesman for the People's Liberation Army Navy's Eastern Theatre Command, said in an online statement.
He said British statements on the transit had "distorted legal principles and confused the public".
"Its actions deliberately disrupted the situation and undermined peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Liu said.
China has repeatedly refused to rule out using force to seize control of democratic Taiwan.
The HMS Spey was the first British navy ship to sail through the strait since the HMS Richmond, a frigate deployed with Britain's aircraft carrier strike group, in 2021.
Taiwan's defence ministry said Friday it had detected 50 Chinese military aircraft around the island.
"China respects the right of all countries to navigate the waters of the Taiwan Strait in accordance with the law," Beijing's foreign ministry said on Friday.
"But we resolutely oppose any country conducting provocations and threatening Chinese sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation," spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news briefing.
Beijing has ramped up deployment of fighter jets and naval vessels around Taiwan in recent years to press its sovereignty claim, which Taipei rejects.
Taiwan detects 50 Chinese military aircraft around island
Taipei (AFP) June 20, 2025 - Taiwan detected 50 Chinese military aircraft around the island, the defence ministry said Friday, days after a British naval vessel sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
China insists democratic, self-ruled Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the island under its control.
Beijing has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and naval vessels around Taiwan in recent years to press its claim of sovereignty, which Taipei rejects.
Taiwan also accuses China of using espionage, cyberattacks and disinformation to weaken its defences.
Along with the 50 aircraft, six Chinese naval vessels were also detected in the 24 hours to 6:00 am (2200 GMT Thursday), the defence ministry said.
It said in a separate statement that an additional 24 Chinese aircraft including fighters and drones were spotted since 08:50 am Friday.
Among them, 15 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait in conducting air-sea joint training with Chinese naval vessels, the ministry said, adding it "monitored the situation and responded accordingly".
The latest incursion came after British Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Spey sailed through the Taiwan Strait on June 18, Taiwan's foreign ministry said Thursday.
The United States and other countries view the 180-kilometre (112-mile) Taiwan Strait as international waters that should be open to all vessels.
The last time a British Navy ship transited the Taiwan Strait was in 2021, when the HMS Richmond, a frigate deployed with Britain's aircraft carrier strike group, sailed through from Japan to Vietnam.
China strongly condemned Britain at the time and deployed its military to follow the vessel.
In April, Taiwan detected 76 Chinese aircraft and 15 naval vessels around the island, when Beijing conducted live-fire exercises that included simulated strikes aimed at the island's key ports and energy sites.
The highest number of Chinese aircraft recorded was 153 on October 15, after China staged large-scale military drills in response to Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te's National Day speech days earlier.
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