This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.

Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen has vowed not to cave in to growing military threats from China after Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Xi Jinping once more insisted that the democratic island must “unify” with China, contrary to the wishes of most of its 23 million residents.

Speaking at an Oct. 10 National Day ceremony, Tsai warned against “letting down our guard” in the face of pressure from China.

“The situation in the Indo-Pacific region is becoming more tense and complex by the day,” Tsai warned.

“After taking complete control of Hong Kong and suppressing democracy activists, the Beijing authorities also shifted away from the path of political and economic development that they had followed since reform and opening up began decades ago,” she said.