Taiwan will not relinquish its sovereignty or compromise on freedom and democracy, and its people categorically oppose Beijing’s plan for Taiwan to be managed as “one nation, two systems,” the self-ruled island’s presidential office said on Sunday.

The declaration came shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping declared in a speech at the start of the Communist Party Congress in Beijing that it is up to the Chinese people to resolve the Taiwan problem and that China will never abandon the use of force against Taiwan.

Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region is the common responsibility of both sides and meeting on the battlefield is not an option, Taiwan’s presidential office said in the statement.