President Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan will not bow to pressure from China and will continue its democratic way of life, as tensions over the island continue.
"The more we achieve, the greater the pressure we face from China," Ms Tsai said.
Her speech on Taiwan's National Day came after China's President Xi Jinping vowed to "fulfil reunification".
Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state, while China views it as a breakaway province.
Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve unification.
China has sent a record number of military jets into Taiwan's air defence zone in recent days. Some analysts said the flights could be seen as a warning to Taiwan's president.
Ms Tsai said Taiwan was "standing on democracy's first line of defence". The island could not be forced to take "the path China has laid out for us", which she said did not offer freedom, democracy or sovereignty
China's military flights into Taiwan's air defence zone had seriously affected national security and aviation safety, she said, and the situation was "more complex and fluid than at any other point in the past 72 years".
Taiwan would not "act rashly" but would bolster its defences, she said.
She repeated an offer to talk with Chinese leaders on an equal footing, a suggestion Beijing - which brands her a "separatist" - has so far rejected.
Ms Tsai was re-elected by a landslide last year on a promise to stand up to Beijing. Her speech was followed by a fly past of Taiwanese fighter jets.
On Saturday China's President Xi said unification should be achieved peacefully, but warned that the Chinese people had a "glorious tradition" of opposing separatism.
"The historical task of the complete reunification of the motherland must be fulfilled, and will definitely be fulfilled," he added.
Despite the recent heightened tensions, relations between China and Taiwan have not deteriorated to levels last seen in 1996 when China tried to disrupt presidential elections with missile tests and the US dispatched aircraft carriers to the region to dissuade them.
The US has a longstanding "One China" policy under which it recognises China rather than Taiwan.
But this agreement also allows Washington to maintain a "robust unofficial" relationship with Taiwan. The US sells arms to Taiwan as part of Washington's Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the US must help Taiwan defend itself.
In an interview with the BBC this week, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the US will "stand up and speak out" over any actions that may "undermine peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait.
Latest Stories
-
‘I look forward to working closely with President-elect Faye to enhance Ghanaian-Senegalese relations’ – Akufo-Addo
30 mins -
Girl, 8, only survivor as 45 killed in bus crash in South Africa
1 hour -
Biden to host star-studded NYC fundraiser with Obama and Clinton
1 hour -
GDNR, AAU and others launch Universal Acceptance for local languages in internet domain names
2 hours -
Ogum and Kotoko’s March malaise
3 hours -
2 repair vessels dispatched for undersea cable repairs – says NCA’s latest update
4 hours -
Multimedia Group Limited’s Clinton Yeboah shortlisted for 2 International Sports Press Association Awards
4 hours -
Supreme Court upholds High Court verdict on fraudulent sale of property by Senior Police Officer
4 hours -
NHIS Biometric Membership Authentication System limited rollout satisfactory – NHIA Deputy CEO
5 hours -
Yara Ghana donates 1,107 bags of fertilizers to women farmers, farmers with disabilities
5 hours -
Tinubu forms team to find solutions to ailing economy
5 hours -
Jacob Zuma barred from running in South Africa election
5 hours -
Western Cape Education wins national primary school track and field championships
5 hours -
Cyber Security Authority issues Public Alert over Easter and Eid al-Fitr season scams
5 hours -
Sandro Tonali charged by FA for alleged betting rules breaches after joining Newcastle
5 hours