China is prioritising expansion over addressing its urgent economic and social challenges, while Taiwan remains committed to defending itself against Chinese aggression, the island ’s top security official said on Tuesday.

Democratically-governed Taiwan has complained of a stepped-up military and diplomatic pressure campaign by Beijing, which views the island as its own territory, including regular war games near the island. Taiwan’s government rejects China’s sovereignty claims.

Speaking at a forum in Taipei, Joseph Wu, head of Taiwan’s National Security Council, noted that China’s ruling Communist Party was holding a key meeting of senior officials this week, known as a plenum.

“Even though we see worrisome trends in the Chinese economy, the news these days is not how the PRC leade

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