Taiwan President William Lai on October 10 – the nation’s National Day - vowed to safeguard the island’s self-governing status in his most prominent public address to date since taking office earlier this year. Li, in a thinly veiled reference to Beijing’s claims over the country, said he would "uphold the commitment to resist annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty."

In response, a spokeswoman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave a knee-jerk reaction and said the speech "exposed his intransigent position" in regard to Taiwanese independence according to a BBC report.

Lai delivered his remarks during celebrations in Taipei, just over a week after China’s much-lauded celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It was a day celebrated across Taiwan’s often fractious political divide with the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) tweeting earlier in the day “The Republic Of China is undoubtedly the motherland of every Taiwanese people (sic). We should never forget where we came from and the sacrifices made by the revolutionary martyrs 113 years ago. Let's celebrate the National Day as one united ROC!” – ‘Republic of China’ the preferred title of Taiwan used by many in the leading opposition group, while ‘Taiwan’ is the name for the country used by the majority of supporters of Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and other groups. President Lai used both terms in his speech.

Lai also said "The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinates to each other," adding that “on this land, democracy and freedom are thriving. The People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan.”

The speech by President Lai was delivered just over 24 hours after the DW news site carried an article titled “Most Taiwanese would defend island against China, poll finds” in reference to a poll by Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research which said over two-thirds of those surveyed claiming they would take up arms against China if need be.

The same DW article also said that more than 50% of Taiwanese thought the US would help Taiwan militarily if attacked by China. It was further revealed that the majority of Taiwanese do not believe any such action by China would take place for at least five years, although in 2023, CIA Director William Burns indicated that there is intelligence pointing to a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan by 2027.

While Lai was speaking in the Taiwanese capital, leaders of Southeast Asian nations were intensifying their calls for China to adhere to international law following recent clashes in the hotly-contested South China Sea (SCS).

However, Chinese Premier Li Qiang remained resolute during the annual ASEAN summit talks, accusing “external forces” of meddling in regional affairs. While he made no direct reference to the identity of these external forces, his words were interpreted as referring to the US and possibly certain European nations. Naval vessels from both continents have been seen in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea in recent months.

The meeting between Li and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) came after recent violent incidents at sea involving China and ASEAN members the Philippines and Vietnam, raising concerns about China’s increasingly assertive behaviour in the disputed waters.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed his own disappointment, stating, “It is regrettable that the overall situation in the South China Sea remains tense and unchanged” due to China’s actions, according to Al Jazeera.

”We continue to be subjected to harassment and intimidation,” Marcos added while at the same time urging ASEAN leaders to speed up negotiations with Beijing on a code of conduct to govern the South China Sea.

In response, Premier Li described the South China Sea as “a shared home” - albeit one he claimed China had a duty to safeguard.

The ASEAN meeting, which also included Japan and South Korea, two of East Asia’s economic powerhouses, ultimately saw Li calling for increased dialogue between nations to ensure disputes were settled peacefully - a call viewed by many in the region as ironic given China’s continued military and paramilitary aggression against countries with their own South China Sea territorial claims.

Crucially, and to date, China has yet to openly challenge either Japan or South Korea over such territorial aspirations despite contesting ownership of Socotra Rock in the Yellow Sea with Seoul, and multiple island groups in both the East China and South China Sea with Tokyo.

However, Japan, as the most powerful nation both economically and militarily in the East Asia region after China, will be keeping a particularly close eye on Chinese movements in and around both bodies of water in the coming months.

In a Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) statement released on the back of the 27^th ASEAN Japan Summit, it was announced that in the East China Sea, South China Sea and Taiwan (Strait) region, “with regard to maritime issues, Japan strongly opposes continuing and intensifying activities that infringe upon Japan's sovereignty and provocative military activities in the East China Sea” and that “Japan is also seriously concerned about the continuing and intensifying militarisation and coercive activities in the South China Sea.”

Taking a slightly stronger tone than in recent months, Tokyo stated that “any unjust claims of maritime interests and activities that do not align with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are unacceptable. Japan consistently upholds the rule of law at sea and the peaceful settlement of disputes based on international law.”

Japan’s MOFA also made direct reference to Taiwan, stating that “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are important for the region and the international community.”

These words were warmly welcomed in Taiwan, coming a day after National Day celebrations concluded.