New Delhi, Jan. 2 -- Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Thursday vowed to defend the self-ruled island's sovereignty in the face of China's "expansionist ambitions," days after Beijing wrapped up live-fire military drills near its shores.

"In the face of China's rising expansionist ambitions, the international community is watching to see whether the Taiwanese people have the resolve to defend themselves," Lai said in his New Year's address.

"As president, my stance has always been clear: to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, strengthen national defense and the resilience of the whole society, and comprehensively construct an effective deterrence and democratic defense mechanism," he added.

Lai's comments came days after China wra...