By Agence France-Presse

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te warned that countries in the region would be China’s next targets should Beijing seize the democratic island, as he insisted on the need for Taiwan to dramatically shore up its defenses.

Speaking to AFP in his first interview with a global news agency since taking office in May 2024, Lai said he was confident parliament will approve an additional $40 billion budget to fund crucial defense purchases, including weapons from the United States.

China’s President Xi Jinping has warned Washington against selling weapons to Taiwan, but Lai said the United States will stand by Taiwan and will not need to use it as a “bargaining chip” with Beijing.

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the self-governed island under its control.

“If Taiwan were annexed by China, China’s expansionist ambitions would not stop there,” Lai told AFP during an exclusive interview on Tuesday at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.

“The next countries under threat would be Japan, the Philippines, and others in the Indo-Pacific region, with repercussions eventually reaching the Americas and Europe,” he said.

Lai said the recent purges of Chinese generals from the country’s military was “indeed an unusual situation”, but added it did not change Taiwan’s need to be prepared.