Status Quo

Taiwan's President, Tsai Ing-wen, told the BBC That China needs to "reality" and The Island show of "respect".

she was re-elected for a second term on Saturday, winning by a landslide, after a campaign in which they focused heavily on the growing threat from Beijing.

The Chinese Communist party has long claimed to enforce the sovereignty over Taiwan, and to The Right , if necessary.

Ms Tsai insisted That the sovereignty of self-government was The Island , not in doubt or up for negotiation.

"We have no need to, said to us an independent state," the 63-year-old President of the BBC in an exclusive interview, her first since the election.

"We are an independent country today, and we call ourselves The Republic of China (Taiwan). "

Such statements infuriated Beijing, which wants to make a return to the "-China" principle, favored by the major rivals That you looked in the race for the presidency, Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang party.

His party, which traces its roots to the defeated nationalists in the Chinese Civil War , fled to Taiwan and see more of The Island as part of a larger China of which she had torn in itself.

In recent years, the concept argue of China as a useful compromise, in Taiwan advocates.

China insists on its acceptance as a prerequisite for the development of economic relations with Taiwan, just because they do so, is an explicit denial of its existence as a de-facto island-state.

But it is clear That Ms Tsai believes That her victory is a proof of how little appetite there is now, for The One -China concept, and the ambiguity, which allows it, on Taiwan's real status.

"has changed The Situation ," she says. "The double-entendre, which do not serve to serve the purpose it was intended. "

And what has really changed, she suggests, is China.

"Because [More Than ] three years, we, China was to see his threat intensified. You have your military ships and aircraft cruise around The Island ," she says.

"And what is happening in Hong Kong , the people a real feeling That this threat is real, and it is becoming more and more serious. "

Taiwan's interests, she believes, is not best served by the semantics, but addressing the reality, in particular the aspirations of the Taiwanese youths to their cause.

"We have an identity of its own, and we are a country of Our Own . So if there is something against this idea, you will stand up and say, this is not acceptable for us.

"are We a successful democracy, we have a pretty good economy, we deserve respect from China. "

For President Tsai critics, their position is unnecessarily provocative, a, the only risks increasing the very danger That warns you about Open hostility.

But she says she has shown to be cautious. It has, for example, stopped short of the formal Declaration of Independence , the amendments to The Constitution and the amendment to The Flag -That some would, in their Democratic Progressive Party .

China has said it would. as regards such a move as a pretext for military action

"There's so much pressure, so much pressure, That we should go here more," she says.

"But [for] More Than three years, say China, That the maintenance of the Status Quo will remain our Policy . I think That 's a very friendly gesture to China. "

While Ms Tsai says she is Open to dialogue, she is also aware That as a result of their victory, and Beijing can also increase the pressure on Taiwan.

In answer, she tries to diversify Taiwan's trade relations and promote the domestic economy, in particular through the promotion of Taiwanese investors have established, consider factories in China to move back into the Home .

And she is planning for all eventualities.

"you can not exclude the possibility of war at any time," she says.

"But The Thing is, you need to get ready and develop the ability to defend themselves. "

And Taiwan is ready?

"We have tried very hard and make a lot of efforts to strengthen our ability," she says.

"Invasion of Taiwan is something That is very expensive for China. "

Source of news: bbc.com