Taiwani President Tsai Ing-wen Thanked 'Friends of India' for Their Greetings on Taiwan National Day

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen thanked 'friends in India' for their wishes on Taiwan National Day, and said that Taipei and New Delhi together can take pride in safeguarding shared values like freedom and human rights.

Taking to Twitter, Tsai Ing-wen said: "Thank you to all of our dear friends in India for your well wishes on #TaiwanNationalDay. Together, we can take pride in safeguarding our shared values like freedom & human rights, & defending our democratic way of life. #namaste."

Taiwan on Saturday celebrated the country's 109th Double Tenth National Day.

Speaking on the occasion of National Day, the Taiwan president pointed out that democracy and peace in Indo-Pacific are currently facing serious challenges and added that Taiwan will "continue to show resilience" against the "growing internal and external changes seen in decades".

The Taiwan leader also appealed to her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to deescalate military tensions and live up to his promise to "never seek hegemony".

For decades, the Chinese government has claimed authority over Taiwan. Though Taiwan is not recognised by the UN, its government maintains a relationship with the US and does not accept the Chinese authority.

China regards Taipei as a "breakaway province" and has said that it wouldn't mind using force to claim it. At the same time, Beijing has also accused Washington and Taipei of promoting independence.