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Taiwan leader urges China for 'calm' talks as pressure grows

Associated Press
Published | Updated

In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a year-end speech during an international press conference at the presidential office, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, in Taipei, Taiwan. President Tsai urged China to engage in "calm and rational" dialogue to maintain peace, vowing not to give in to Beijing's recent moves to "threaten and intimidate" the self-ruled island. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP) (The Associated Press)

In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a year-end speech during an international press conference at the presidential office, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, in Taipei, Taiwan. President Tsai urged China to engage in "calm and rational" dialogue to maintain peace, vowing not to give in to Beijing's recent moves to "threaten and intimidate" the self-ruled island. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP) (The Associated Press)

In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, President Tsai Ing-wen pauses during an international press conference at the presidential office, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, in Taipei, Taiwan. President Tsai urged China to engage in "calm and rational" dialogue to maintain peace, vowing not to give in to Beijing's recent moves to "threaten and intimidate" the self-ruled island. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP) (The Associated Press)

Taiwan's president has urged China to engage in "calm and rational" dialogue to maintain peace, vowing not to give in to Beijing's recent moves to "threaten and intimidate" the self-ruled island.

Tsai Ing-wen said in a year-end news conference Saturday that the two sides across the Taiwan Strait should hold talks with "flexible attitudes" to find a way to maintain peaceful and stable relations.

Earlier this week, China's first aircraft carrier and five other warships held drills that passed by Taiwan and sailed through the contested South China Sea. Taipei deployed fighter jets to monitor the fleet.

China suspended contacts with Tsai's administration in June over her refusal to endorse China's claim that Taiwan and the mainland are part of a single Chinese nation.