By Sarah Wu

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan President TsaiIng-wen celebrated the start of the new year by sending a message to China: Military conflict is not an answer.

Tsai stated that “We must remind Beijing authorities not to misjudge the circumstances and to stop the internal expansion of ‘military adventurism’,” she said Saturday during her New Year’s address broadcast live via Facebook (NASDAQ).

China claims Taiwan was democratically administered by Taiwan and has used military pressure and diplomacy to increase its claims of sovereignty in recent years.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Chinese New Year speech the day prior, he declared that complete unification “of the motherland” is a goal shared by all people along the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan claims it is independent and has pledged repeatedly to protect its democracy and freedom.

The military is not an option to resolve cross-strait disputes. Tsai explained that military conflict would have an impact on the economic stability. Our two countries share the responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Tsai stated that Taiwan has always stood firm on its principle of “not succumbing to pressure” and “to not rush forward when being supported.”

Tsai stated that to ease tensions in the region, Taipei as well Beijing need to “work hard” to provide basic needs and to calm people in order for peaceful resolutions to be found.

Tsai stated also that Taiwan would monitor Hong Kong closely. She added that “interference in the recent legislative vote and arrests this week at Stand News, a pro-democracy media outlet,” made people even more worried about the rights of human expression in Hong Kong.

Tsai indicated that Taiwan’s top goal in 2022 will be to achieve stable governance.

“We will hold fast to our sovereignty, uphold the values ​​of freedom and democracy, defend territorial sovereignty and national security, and maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”