Self-ruled Taiwan will defend its freedom at all costs against any external threats, the president said on Oct. 8, which includes those from its giant neighbor China. “It hopes for a peaceful, stable, predictable, and mutually beneficial coexistence with its neighbors,” Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen addressed the annual Yushan Forum in Taipei, amid a rise in tensions with China that has sparked alarm around the world. “But Taiwan will also do whatever it takes to defend its freedom and democratic way of life,” Tsai said during her speech. De facto independent Taiwan has its own military, democratically-elected government, and constitution. Yet claimed by China as its own territory, the island has seen China’s incursions at an unprecedented rate. From Oct. 1 to Oct. 5, Beijing sent 150 air force aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense zone in five consecutive days, compared to around 380 jets throughout 2020, according to Taiwan’s government-run …