Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen says island's future must be decided by its people

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has stressed that the self-ruled island's future and its relations with Beijing must be decided by its people after China's leader Xi Jinping said "Reunification" was inevitable. List 1 of 4 China accuses Taiwan of 'hyping up' military threat ahead of elections. List 3 of 4 Taiwan spots Chinese warships, aircraft near island ahead of elections. Asked about Xi's speech at a New Year's press conference at the presidential office in Taipei, Tsai stressed that the island was a democracy and it was its people who decided their future. Earlier on Monday, Taiwan's Ministry of Defence said it had detected four Chinese military aircraft and four Chinese navy vessels near the island. Reelected in a landslide in 2020, Tsai has bolstered relations with the United States, Taiwan's most significant ally, and stepped up efforts to modernise the island's military. Analysts told Al Jazeera last month that Beijing was running a multi-pronged campaign to ensure the DPP is not re-elected and that the people of Taiwan make what it considers the "Right choice".