Taiwan must rely on strength to secure peace: President Lai

Taipei, Oct. 25 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Taiwan must rely on strength, given that a peace agreement with China will not guarantee peace, in a video released on Saturday to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou.

Speaking in the video, titled "A day that cannot be forgotten by the people of Taiwan: Victory in the Battle of Guningtou," Lai said cross-strait peace can only be achieved through "real strength."

"Peace must be built on strength. Only with strength can we achieve true peace. We should have ideals about peace, but not illusions -- peace cannot be secured merely through an agreement," Lai said.

The Battle of Guningtou was fought from Oct. 25-27, 1949 in Kinmen during the final stages of the Chinese Civil War. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the Republic of China forces.

As a semiconductor giant, Taiwan will use its technological strength to take on the future war dominated by smart defense capabilities, Lai said.

In addition, Lai said Taiwan will set up "smart defense systems" by leveraging artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

In the video, produced by history writer Lee Wen-cheng (李文成) and YouTuber Lin Chen (林辰), Lai also shared his experiences serving his conscription duty in Kinmen decades ago.

"To me, it was an honor to serve in the military on the frontlines in Kinmen," Lai added.