Taiwan's President said the island is not part of the People's Republic of China and its future must be decided by its 23 million citizens. He expressed willingness to talk with Beijing on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and urged the United States to approve the pending arms sales without delay. The president affirmed that the U.S. security commitment to Taiwan remains unchanged and that Taiwan's self‑defence and rejection of Communist Party rule are not provocative actions. He called on China to halt military expansion in the Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea and the South China Sea and to stop using force against Taiwan.