Chinese mainland officials on Friday slammed separatist narratives in Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's so-called "Double Ten" address, which they say exposed Lai as a diehard troublemaker, danger-creater and warmonger and his words and deeds will only undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.
At a regular press briefing of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday, a reporter noted that in his address, Lai once again made "Taiwan independence" remarks, asking the mainland to "cease its distortion of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758" and saying Taiwan "will work to uphold the status quo" and "ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits."
Asked to comment on that, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the ministry, said that Lai's address called white black and confused right and wrong. He peddled the false narrative of "democracy v.s. authoritarianism," repeated the same old fallacies for "Taiwan independence," and distorted and challenged historical facts and international consensus. "These words once again laid bare his true nature as a diehard troublemaker, danger-creater and warmonger," Guo said.
Guo stressed that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. This is the real status quo across the Taiwan Straits. The biggest threats to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits at present are the separatist activities for "Taiwan independence" and external interference, the spokesperson noted.
Also commenting on Lai's address, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Friday that in his speech, Lai stubbornly adhered to the "Taiwan independence" stance, hyped up the so-called "mainland threat," and pushed the narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism."
Lai also distorted the history of World War II and UNGA Resolution 2758, vainly attempting to "seek independence through force," "rely on foreign powers for independence," and expand armaments and prepare for confrontation, Chen said in a statement.
Lai's words and deeds will only undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, escalate tensions, add burden on the residents of Taiwan, and jeopardize the island's economic lifeline and development prospects — ultimately bringing disaster to Taiwan society, Chen said.
Conversely, deviating from the one-China principle, denying the 1992 Consensus and pushing separatist schemes for "Taiwan independence" will only bring tension and turmoil to the situation in the Taiwan Straits, gravely harming Taiwan island's economy and the vital interests of residents, said Chen.
The fact that Taiwan is part of China is clear, and its status is unequivocal. The historical trend toward China's reunification is unstoppable. No matter what Lai says or does, he cannot change the historical and legal facts that Taiwan is part of China, nor can he alter the global consensus recognizing Taiwan as part of China. He cannot halt the inevitable historical process of China's complete reunification, said Chen.
"Double Ten Day" is a public holiday on the island of Taiwan, originally meant to commemorate the 1911 Revolution that began on October 10, 1911. However, analysts noted that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have tried to use the day to promote secessionist fantasies. And Lai's speech on Friday continued such an attempt.
Lai's speech was deeply deceptive and misleading, and he remains firmly entrenched in his "Taiwan independence" stance, invoking World War II and UNGA Resolution 2758 to distort facts and challenge the one-China principle, Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Friday.
Zheng said that Lai filled much of his speech with talk of regional affairs and self-congratulation in an attempt to divert attention from his political troubles, including plummeting approval ratings and poor handling of tariff negotiations with the US. "To find excuses for himself, he fabricated a series of political achievements, but did not back down on cross-Straits issues," Zheng said.
Lai's words and deeds also face harsh criticism in Taiwan. On Friday, the head of Taiwan's legislative body Han Kuo-yu also made a speech in which he said Taiwan's society has been torn apart by large-scale recall campaigns, the risk of war has been heightened by "de-Sinicization," energy policy has been hampered by ideology, and Taiwan's future has been compromised by tariff negotiations, according to media reports in Taiwan.
Han also noted that "we must never allow war to break out across the Taiwan Straits, nor continue endless partisan strife," he is quoted by Taiwan media as saying.
Zheng said that since taking office, Lai and the DPP authorities have deliberately stirred hostility toward the mainland, ignored people's hardships, and kowtowed to the US in pursuit of "Taiwan independence" fantasies. As for who is truly fueling Taiwan's "invisible barrier lakes," Zheng said, the answer is clear.
In his speech, Lai also claimed that Taiwan will significantly increase is "defense spending" and accelerate the building of an air-defense system called "T-Dome."
Asked to comment on the building of so-called T-Dome at the press briefing on Friday, Guo said that the Lai Ching-te authorities' attempt of seeking "Taiwan independence" and resisting reunification through military buildup will only push Taiwan toward the danger of military conflict.
"To uphold peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, one must uphold the one-China principle and unequivocally oppose 'Taiwan independence.' China is firmly opposed to the US' arms sales to and military ties with China's Taiwan region. This position is consistent and unequivocal," Guo said.
Song Zhongping, a military affairs expert, said that Lai's address on Friday was filled with provocation and "two-state theory" rhetoric. Lai proposed increasing Taiwan's so-called "defense budget" from 3 percent of GDP to 5 percent, which mirrors targets set by the US and NATO, exposing Lai's attempt to curry favor with Washington.
"However, US politicians have never regarded Taiwan as an ally, but as a cash cow. Even the US' NATO allies are pressured to pay 'protection fees,' let alone Taiwan region," said Song, adding that the DPP authorities' plan to build the so-called "T-Dome" is far beyond their actual capabilities, and Lai's rhetoric is pure wishful thinking, as "resisting reunification by force" is ultimately a dead end.
Lai's speech has also been criticized by people from Taiwan island. Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party, expressed "deep regret" over Lai's address, saying it was dominated by unconstitutional "two-state theory" rhetoric that splits the Straits into "two countries" and severs historical ties, according to a report from media outlet udn.com.
Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, said that Lai continues to call the mainland "China," reflecting his persistence in the "two-state" theory, which risks pushing cross-Straits relations to a dead end. He urged Lai to abandon the erroneous "two-state" theory to ensure cross-Straits unity and peace, according to udn.com.