TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) welcomed more cross-strait dialogue without preconditions to improve the well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Speaking to Taiwanese businesspeople based in China on Monday, Lai said fostering equal and dignified exchanges with China would promote mutual understanding and reconciliation. The president stressed that cross-strait relations should prioritize communication over containment and dialogue over confrontation.

Taiwan shares universal values with other democracies, Lai said. Standing together with them, “Taiwan aims to bolster its deterrence and achieve peace through strength,” he said.

Lai prioritized protecting the safety and property of all Taiwanese, saying peace is invaluable and war has no winners. He listed increasing the defense budgets and enhancing military capabilities as ways to maintain strength.

Taiwan has been urging dialogue with no preconditions with China since Beijing cut off official communication in 2016 when Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) began her first presidential term.