Taiwan’s relations with China must be decided by the will of the people and peace must be based on dignity, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Monday. Her remarks came after China’s  President Xi Jinping said “reunification” with the island is inevitable.

Asked about Xi’s speech at a New Year’s press conference at the presidential office in Taipei, Tsai said the most important principle on what course to follow on relations with China was democracy.

“This is taking the joint will of Taiwan’s people to make a decision. After all, we are a democratic country,” she said.

China should respect the outcome of Taiwan’s election and it is the responsibility of both sides to maintain peace and stability in the strait, Tsai added.

China has been ramping up military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over democratically governed Taiwan, which on January 13 holds presidential and parliamentary elections.