Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te vowed Thursday to "resist annexation" and that Taiwan is not "subordinate" to China, as Beijing ramps up the pressure on the self-ruled island it claims as its own.

Lai made the remarks as Taiwan celebrated its National Day against the backdrop of threats from China. 

Beijing has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control, which Lai and his government vehemently oppose.

"I will uphold the commitment to resist annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty," Lai told a crowd, that included his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen and pro-independence former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian. "The Republic of China [formal name of Taiwan] and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other," Lai said at the ceremony held on a square outside the presidential office in Taipei.

China's anger with Lai

A senior US administration official said Wednesday that China may use the Taiwanese National Day "as a pretext" for military exercises.

Lai has been more forthright than his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, in defending Taiwan's sovereignty, prompting Beijing to call him a "separatist."

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for a Chinese body in charge of Taiwan affairs, said Lai had "recycled the 'Taiwan independence' fallacy once again" and exposed "his malicious intent to escalate hostility and confrontation."

"Our determination to defend our national sovereignty remains unchanged," Lai said Thursday. "Our efforts to maintain the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait remain unchanged."

Taiwan's National Day and where it comes from

Thursday's ceremony marks the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC), which overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and fled to Taiwan.

The ROC government officially relocated to Taiwan in 1949 as Mao Zedong's Communists swept to power on the Chinese mainland on the back of a civil war.

Mao was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He led the country from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976, while also serving as the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, which is still in existence today and led by Xi Jinping.

Since 1949, the ROC has effectively held jurisdiction over Taiwan and a number of outlying islands, leaving Taiwan and China each under the rule of a different government.

Taiwan was run under martial law until transitioning to full democracy in the 1980s and 1990s but maintains the original constitution brought from China and the ROC flag.

'China has no right to represent Taiwan,' says Lai

Lai was keen to extol the virtues of Taiwanese democracy in his keynote speech.

"On this land, democracy and freedom are growing and thriving. The People's Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan," he said.

Taiwan's determination to defend its sovereignty, maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait and seek equal and dignified talks with China all remain unchanged, according to Lai.

More than half of Taiwan thinks US would help if China used force

A survey published Wednesday showed that more than two-thirds of Taiwanese people would be willing to fight off a Chinese invasion of their island, should it materialize.

Just over half of the respondents said they believe that the United States would also militarily intervene should Beijing use force.

jsi/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters)