Taiwan president thanks US for help in strengthening defences

COPENHAGEN, May 12 (Reuters) - Taiwan President ‌Lai Ching-te on ​Tuesday ​expressed his thanks to the U.S. for its help in strengthening the island's defences and said Taipei would not give in to pressure, ahead ‌of a summit between the U.S. and Chinese leaders in Beijing this ⁠week.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are holding two days of meetings on Thursday ‌and Friday where the issue ‌of Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, is certain to come up.

The U.S. is Taiwan's most important international backer despite the lack of formal diplomatic ​ties, and its main arms seller, to the constant anger of China which has demanded weapons sales stop.

"I would like to thank the United States for helping ⁠us strengthen our defence capabilities as part of its unwavering commitment to security," Lai said in English in a ​video message to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, without directly mentioning the Trump-Xi meeting.

Three decades ago Taiwan held its first free presidential election ​under the threat of missiles from China, and ‌Taiwan is an important beacon of democracy in Asia, he added.

"The people of Taiwan have never backed down in the face of mounting ⁠external challenges, and they will never bow to pressure. Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation," Lai said, using wording sure to infuriate China.

"The Taiwanese people have every right to engage with ⁠the international community, and they are more than capable of contributing to it. No attempt to isolate ​Taiwan will alter our determination to participate in the international community."

China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China detests Lai and calls him a "separatist". It has rejected repeated ‌offers of talks from him.

Taiwan has complained of a stepped up pressure campaign by China to isolate it internationally, including last month ‌when the government blamed Chinese pressure on three Indian Ocean countries for blocking Lai's flight ⁠to Eswatini in southern Africa.

Taiwan also ‌faces mounting military pressure. China ​held its last full-scale war games around the island in December.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by ‌Andrew Heavens)

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