Taiwan President William Lai calls China biggest threat to free trade, urges Japan to deepen ties

Taipei [Taiwan], May 13 (ANI): Taiwan President William Lai has called China the "biggest crisis" to the global free-trade system, citing repeated cases of unfair trade practices including plagiarism, counterfeiting, dumping, and intellectual property theft, Taipei Times reported.
His remarks were published Monday in an interview with Nikkei Asia, marking his first foreign media interview of the year.
"If this kind of unfair trade is not resolved, the stable societies and economic prosperity we have painstakingly built over decades, as well as some of the values we pursue, could be destroyed," William warned.
He said that Taiwan supported the recent actions taken by the US against such practices and stood ready to contribute further.
William's remarks come amid growing international trade friction triggered by US President Donald Trump's new tariff proposals and China's increased military drills in the region.
In this context, William urged Japan to take a more proactive role. "Japan is a powerful nation. I sincerely hope that Japan can lead amid these changes in the international landscape," he said.
He also called on Tokyo to pursue a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan and support its accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
He highlighted Taiwan's role in building a democratic, resilient supply chain--especially in the semiconductor sector - by forming a "non-red" partnership with countries like Japan, the US, and the Netherlands, reported Taipei Times.
"Japan has materials, equipment and technology, the US has [integrated circuit] (IC) design and marketing, Taiwan has production and manufacturing, and the Netherlands excels in equipment," Lai said, outlining each country's key contribution to the global chip industry.
Addressing Beijing's rising threat, William stated, "Taiwan's choice is clear to defend democracy and sovereignty, protect our free and democratic system, and ensure the safety of our people's lives and property."
According to reports by the Taipei Times, he added that Taiwan "must demonstrate the strength of deterrence to prevent China from making the wrong judgment. "
Still, William offered a conditional opening for engagement, saying that "as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China and seek cross-strait peace and mutual prosperity." (ANI)