Taiwan faces similar threat to Europe in 1930s, president says

Lai Ching-te says message of history is clear' as Taiwan for first time officially commemorates end of second world war

Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, has compared his nation to the European countries heading for conflict with Nazi Germany in the 1930s, in a punchy speech commemorating the end of the second world war in Europe.

Eighty years after the end of the European war, the message of history is clear. Today, 80 years later, we share the same values and face similar challenges as many of the democracies that participated in the European war," Lai said to a group of foreign dignitaries gathered in Taipei.