'Return' to China not an option for Taiwan's people, premier says

Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said on Tuesday that a "return" to China is not an option for the island's 23 million people, after Chinese President Xi Jinping pressed his country's sovereignty claims in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump.



Xi told Trump on Monday that Taiwan's "return to China" at the end of World War Two was a key part of Beijing's vision for the world order. Taiwan's democratically elected government strongly rejects China's stance.



"We must once again emphasise that the Republic of China, Taiwan, is a fully sovereign and independent country," Cho told reporters outside parliament, referring to the island's formal name.



"For the 23 million people of our nation, 'return' is not an option - this is very clear," he added.



In Taiwan's system, the premier is in charge of day-to-day government operations while defence and foreign relations are generally the president's purview.

China has offered Taiwan a "one country, two systems" model, which enjoys no support from any mainstream Taiwanese political party and has been rejected by President Lai Ching-te.