Presidential hopeful Lai says Taiwan’s sovereignty is ‘a fact’

Taiwan's Vice President William Lai waves at Taoyuan International Airport before his departure to the United States for a stopover in New York on his way to Paraguay, in Taoyuan, Taiwan on August 12, 2023 [File: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters]

Taiwanese vice president and presidential hopeful William Lai Ching-te has underlined Taiwan’s status as a sovereign nation and said that the world knows that China is to blame for a recent rise in tensions.

At a press conference for foreign journalists on Friday, ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai said that the island has proven its status as a country through its democratic actions.