TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) responded to a cover story by The Economist naming Taiwan as “the most dangerous place on earth” by declaring her confidence the country can overcome the challenges of authoritarian expansion in a bilingual comment on Facebook Friday (April 30).

The British weekly’s report attracted several sarcastic comments online, with netizens posting pictures of peaceful crowds and Pride parades in order to mock the description of Taiwan as a dangerous place.

In her post, Tsai said she wanted to “assure everyone that our government is fully capable of managing all potential risks and protecting our country from danger.” While mentioning the threat of Chinese military expansionism to peace in the region, she emphasized Taiwan’s efforts to strengthen its defense and uphold regional stability.

The country has earned “international recognition as a responsible force for good in the Indo-Pacific region” thanks to its consistent position of not bowing to pressure or acting rashly, the president said.

“As long as the people of Taiwan remain united and uphold our core values while responding prudently to regional developments, we can overcome the challenges posed by authoritarian expansion,” Tsai said, concluding by calling on the island nation’s “like-minded partners” to understand the risks and cooperate with Taiwan to maintain regional peace and prosperity.