Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen took aim at China's lack of freedom in a recent message for the coming Lunar New Year, which starts Tuesday, saying she hoped ethnic Chinese all over the world would be able to experience the "blessing" of democracy.

Self-governed Taiwan is China's most sensitive issue and is claimed by Beijing as its sacred territory.

President Xi Jinping has stepped up pressure on the democratic island since Tsai, who hails from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, became president in 2016.