In her national address on Monday, President Tsai Ing-wen said it was "regrettable" that China had escalated its military intimidation, diplomatic pressure, and trade obstructions to remove Taiwan's sovereignty.

"I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides," Tsai remarked.

"Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait," she added.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite Taiwan being a sovereign nation with a democratically elected government, and has vowed to conquer Taiwan by force if necessary.

The CCP has launched military drills near Taiwan after a controversial visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in August, firing multiple ballistic missiles over Taiwan and imposing a blockade of its international sea.

Tsai said that Taiwan is willing to negotiate with China to restore peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but that it must not compromise the freedom and democracy of the Taiwanese people.

"The broadest consensus among the Taiwanese people and our various political parties is that we must defend our national sovereignty and our free and democratic way of life. On this point, we have no room for compromise," she said.