China is threatening Taiwan "nonstop" and posing a major challenge to regional peace and stability, the island's President Tsai Ing-wen said in a National Day speech Thursday.
Tsai's comments come amid a renewed push by China to internationally isolate the self-governing island democracy that it claims as its own territory by poaching its few remaining diplomatic allies.
Tsai's remarks also follow months of anti-government protests in the former British colony of Hong Kong, which reverted in 1997 to Chinese rule under the same "one country, two systems" framework Beijing says it intends to use to absorb Taiwan.
"China is using its 'one country, two systems' program to threaten us nonstop and has used all sorts of attacks and mounted virulent challenges to regional peace and stability," Tsai said in her speech at the presidential office building in the center of the capital, Taipei.
China cut off contact with Tsai's government shortly after her inauguration in 2016 because she rejects Beijing's claim to the island. She is the front-runner to win reelection next year, despite a push by Beijing to undermine her support in part by wooing the large Taiwanese business community in China.
Resistance to China was one of three goals Tsai outlined in her speech.
"We must stand up in defense," Tsai said. "Rejection of 'one country, two systems' is the biggest consensus among Taiwan's 23 million people across parties and positions."
Referring to Hong Kong, Tsai said, "the failure of 'one country, two systems'" had taken Hong Kong to "the brink of disorder."
The framework preserved Hong Kong's independent judiciary, civil liberties and capitalist economic system, but China's ruling Communist Party under President Xi Jinping has been increasingly accused of whittling away at such freedoms.
"Over 70 years, we've endured all sorts of severe challenges and not only do none of these challenges knock us down, they make us stronger and more resolute," Tsai said. "One offensive after another, they've not made Taiwanese people yield."
China says the two sides must be eventually reunited, by force if needed. Beijing has steadily increased diplomatic, military and economic pressure on Taipei over the past two years in a bid to force Tsai to the bargaining table.
In September Beijing persuaded two of Taiwan's diplomatic allies, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands, to switch allegiance from Taipei to Beijing. Five other countries have switched sides under Tsai.
Today, just 15 countries, small and mostly impoverished, recognize Taiwan. Roughly 180 countries recognize China, which as the world's second-largest economy offers generous financial inducements in exchange for formal diplomatic ties, far beyond those Taiwan can offer.
Beijing also commands a massive military and has hundreds of missiles pointed directly at Taiwan.
Tsai looks largely to the United States for support, including the provision of weapons to defend against China. President Donald Trump's administration has approved a flurry of arms packages, including new F-16 fighter jets, and signed a bill that encourages high-level visits.
"I think the president's statements and viewpoints parallel what the U.S. is saying at the moment, as they (both) see China as a competitor," said Alexander Huang, strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan.
Because of ongoing trade frictions with Washington, Beijing probably won't rebut Tsai's speech, Huang said.
"China would not seek a fight at the current moment and not try to antagonize the United States," he said.
Tsai, a 63-year-old U.S.-educated law scholar, is ramping up her campaign for reelection before the vote in January. Her chief election opponent espouses friendlier relations with China. About 80% of Taiwanese oppose unification with China, per government surveys in January and March.
Under Tsai's Nationalist Party predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan and China signed more than 20 agreements on trade and tourism, while sidestepping political issues. China insists that was possible because Ma endorsed Beijing's one-China principle implying that both sides were part of a single Chinese nation.
Oct. 10 marks the 1911 founding of the Republic of China, which once ruled on the mainland but was forced to retreat to Taiwan in 1949 after Mao Zedong's Communists took power over Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists.
DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they'll play the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.
The A's reacted to the announcement that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.
“At least as a player, you know where you’re headed,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There’s obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of stuff we’re not privy to, so it’s just been kind of a waiting game on our end. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to be? So I think just having that knowledge -- at least we know where we’re going to be playing next year.”
Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for at least three seasons. The A's are moving to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is constructed.
The River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.
Fisher was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials on extending the lease at Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.
“There's direction now, which we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We've got time to kind of reflect on what this really means from an organizational standpoint, the history that we've had in Oakland, with this being now the final season. There's a lot of emotion that goes behind this.”
It will not only cause some upheaval for the players and staff but also members of the organization that work behind the scenes.
“At the end of the day, we know where we're going to be for the next three seasons after the finish this year and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, in the present, it's challenging in certain ways to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”
Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to house a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the lawn behind center field and standing room only.
First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned with the facilities. He's hopeful that significant upgrades will be made, much like the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Buffalo's Sahlen Field in 2020 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms — everything they needed to become a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played some games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, then it'll be all right. But it's definitely going to be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 people.”
Kotsay is confident the upgrades will occur.
“I know it will be of major league baseball quality,” he said. “It's has to be of major league baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that takes place, as they did in Buffalo.”
For the rest of this season, the A's will have to deal with small home crowds and disappointed fans.
“We’re sad for the fans, the diehard fans, who always come to our games, always support us, always support the boys wearing the jersey,” Noda said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, center, shakes hands John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics, before the start of a news conference where Fisher announced his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4 2024.The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, announces that his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple A team Sacramento River Cats, is shown in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The Oakland Athletics announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
