# Taiwan's Lai Ching-te Vows to Defend the Status Quo and Criticizes Beijing in National Day Speech

Lai also responded to talks between Washington and Beijing, saying Taiwan's self-defense buildup "is not a provocation," while US and Chinese officials follow the opposition Kuomintang's leadership struggle.

- Published: 2026-10-10T05:16:36.849Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-10-10/taiwan-s-lai-ching-te-vows-to-defend-the-status-quo-and-crit
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [Jiji Press](https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2026101000249&g=int), [Jiji Press](https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2026101000337&g=int), [Nikkei Asia](https://asia.nikkei.com/politics/taiwan-s-kmt-shows-signs-of-power-struggle-tracked-by-us-and-china)

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te criticized China in his National Day address on Saturday. Japan's [Jiji Press](https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2026101000249&g=int) summarized his message in its Japanese headline as a promise to "firmly defend the status quo." A [second Jiji report](https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2026101000337&g=int) quoted him as vowing to "firmly protect peace and stability in the Strait."

Taiwanese outlets reported more of the speech. [United Daily News reported](https://udn.com/news/story/6656/9805645) that Lai responded to talks between Washington and Beijing and said that strengthening self-defense "is not a provocation." [NOWnews reported](https://www.nownews.com/news/6882155) that he accused China of trying to change the status quo and said Taiwan is willing to engage with China "but will not accept being belittled." [Next Apple News noted](https://news.nextapple.com/politics/20261010/E8BAD85530D5EFF7851568864269AA73) that the speech marked 30 years of direct presidential elections and that Lai said Taiwan's people decide their own future. United Daily News also quoted him as saying that energy policy "cannot be built on slogans," a point relevant to the power supply Taiwan's chip industry depends on.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of China and rejects Lai's framing. Its Taiwan Affairs Office responded to [last year's address](https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202510100239.aspx) by saying it aggravated tension in the Strait. In Taipei, [Nikkei Asia reported](https://asia.nikkei.com/politics/taiwan-s-kmt-shows-signs-of-power-struggle-tracked-by-us-and-china) signs of a power struggle inside the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), the party that favors closer ties with Beijing. Both Washington and Beijing are following it closely.

## What this means

Lai's main concern in this speech was the talks between Washington and Beijing. The risk for Taipei is that the two powers settle trade or security questions in ways that limit Taiwan's room to act. Lai's emphasis on self-defense is an argument to Washington as much as to Beijing: Taiwan wants to look like a partner worth backing, not a cost the United States might trade away. Beijing's leverage works through the KMT and through military pressure around the island, and the KMT leadership contest decides which Taiwanese partner Beijing will have before the next elections. Markets have priced recurring tension around Taiwan into chip stocks and regional insurance. They have not priced a US-China arrangement that reduces US support for Taiwan, which would worry Taipei more than a single military exercise. The desk's read is that Beijing answers the speech with criticism and a show of military force within weeks, and that the KMT contest, not the speech, shapes cross-Strait risk into 2027. The read is wrong if the next US-China talks produce a joint statement that mentions Taiwan, which would show Washington and Beijing negotiating over Taiwan directly.

## What to watch

- Chinese military aircraft and ship activity around Taiwan in the coming week. A large exercise would be Beijing's direct answer to the speech.
- Any reference to Taiwan in statements from upcoming US-China talks. New wording would show Taiwan becoming part of the bargaining between the two powers.
- The outcome of the KMT leadership struggle. A candidate who favors closer ties with Beijing would change Beijing's political options before Taiwan's next elections.