Sharjah24 – Reuters: Taiwan launched its first English-language news, lifestyle and entertainment television channel on Monday to give it a bigger voice internationally at a time China when is squeezing the island's footprint and seeking to assert sovereignty.

The government-backed TaiwanPlus began operations last year as a mostly online streaming platform and has been strongly supported by President Tsai Ing-wen.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Tsai said the channel has already raised Taiwan's international profile and would help as the island forges ever closer ties with "countries that share our core values of freedom and democracy."

"The stories of Taiwan should be shared with the world," she said. "With more and more people around the world taking an interest in Taiwan it is more important than ever that we have a platform to bring Taiwan to the international community."

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, is increasingly active in English-language media, conveying the ruling Communist Party's views to an outside audience, especially via state television's English-language news channel China Global Television Network, or CGTN.

China is also pressuring Taiwan's international space, including forcing foreign companies to refer to it as being part of China on their websites and routinely carrying out military drills near the island.