Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has vowed to resist annexation to China or encroachment on his country’s sovereignty.
This comes as China exerts growing military and political pressure on the self-ruled island it claims as part of its territory.
China has not ruled out using force to bring the democratic island under its control, which Lai and his government oppose.
Beijing has ramped up pressure on Taiwan to accept its territorial claims and relations have remained tense under Lai, who took office in May.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark Taiwan’s National Day celebrations, Lai said that Beijing and Taipei were “not subordinate to each other,” reiterating his view that Taiwan is distinct from China.
He added that China had “no right to represent Taiwan.”
Also, Lai asserted that Taiwan’s determination to defend its national sovereignty remains unchanged. “Our efforts to maintain the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait remain unchanged,” he added.
In his speech, Lai expressed hope for “healthy and orderly dialogue and exchanges” with China, and urged Beijing to use its influence to help end conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Beijing severed high-level communications with Taipei in 2016 when Tsai Ing-wen, also a member of Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party, took power.
The current dispute between China and Taiwan dates back to a civil war between the nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong’s communist fighters.
The nationalists fled to Taiwan in 1949 after they were defeated by the communists.
The Republic of China remains Taiwan’s official name.
While Taiwan has its own government, military and currency, it has never declared formal independence from mainland China.
Beijing has sought to erase Taipei from the international stage, blocking it from global forums and poaching its diplomatic allies.
China Slams Lai’s Speech
In response to a media question on Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te’s speech, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning said at a routine press conference that Lai’s speech deliberately sought to sever historical ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, reiterated the rhetoric of “not subordinating to each other” and “insisting on sovereignty,” while changing tactics to peddle the fallacy of “Taiwan independence.”
She asserted that Lai’s speech exposed his hell bent position on Taiwan independence and his sinister intention to escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait for political self-interest.
Mao emphasized that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.
“No matter what the Lai authorities say or do, it cannot change the undeniable fact that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one and the same China, nor can it hinder the historical trend of China’s inevitable reunification, which will ultimately be achieved. Attempts to provoke and seek independence will lead to a dead end.
“The one-China principle is a basic norm of international relations and a broadly accepted consensus in the international community.”
Mao Ning
Also, the Chinese Spokesperson stated that Taiwan has never been a country and it can never become one, and its so-called sovereignty does not exist at all.
She noted that adhering to the one-China principle, opposing “Taiwan independence” and rejecting “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan” is China’s consistent position in handling Taiwan’s external exchanges and participation in international activities.
Mao reiterated that China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges with Taiwan by countries that have diplomatic relations with China, and resolutely opposes any interference in China’s internal affairs by any means or under any pretext.
Moreover, Mao urged the few foreign politicians who have visited Taiwan to correct their wrong words and actions, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, stop condoning and endorsing “Taiwan independence” and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Straits.
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