Taiwan, Europe must defend democracy together, president says

Taiwan and Europe must work together to defend against authoritarianism and disinformation, President Tsai Ing-wen told visiting lawmakers from the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Monday. Lithuania has faced sustained pressure from China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, since allowing the opening of a de facto Taiwanese embassy in its capital.

Beijing has ramped up military and diplomatic pressure on Taipei to accept Chinese sovereignty claims and to limit its international participation, though Tsai says Taiwan will not bow to threats and will defend its freedom and democracy. Tsai told the lawmakers at the Presidential Office that Taiwan and the Baltic nations - once part of the Soviet Union - share similar experiences of breaking free from authoritarian rule and of fighting for freedom.

"The democracy we enjoy today was hard earned. This is something we all understand most profoundly," she said.

Read more