Lai Ching-te calls himself a ‘pragmatic Taiwanese independence worker’, but is in fact a ‘pragmatic war instigator’

Tolerating separatist forces means fanning the flames in the Taiwan Strait. Cartoon: Carlos Latuff

Since the inauguration of Taiwan’s regional leader Lai Ching-te, his words and actions have increasingly revealed the true nature of the so-called “pragmatic Taiwanese independence worker” – one who, under the guise of maintaining peace, is actually a is a ‘pragmatic warrior’. instigator” who continuously mobilizes society and shapes public opinion for “Taiwan’s independence”. In his so-called “Double Ten” speech on Thursday, Lai continued to make provocative statements, such as “the Republic of China has already established roots in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. And the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other,” and also “the People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan.”

Taiwan’s former regional leader Ma Ying-jeou reportedly decided to cancel his attendance at an event celebrating Taiwan’s “National Day” on Thursday, stating that he should have attended but chose not to not to do so because of Lai’s advocacy of the “two states” theory. Ma argued that Lai’s push for a separatist path seriously violates the island’s “constitutional provisions” and could endanger Taiwan’s 23 million residents.

After Lai came to power, he continuously promoted the separatist fallacy of “Taiwan independence,” claiming that “the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other.” By revising textbooks and historical accounts, he attempted to sever the connection between Taiwan and the mainland at its roots. In his speech he showed a so-called ‘soft attitude’, appearing to use mild language; in reality, however, he was cleverly working on the ‘two-state’ theory, which is more deceptive, more confusing and has a stronger provocative undertone. Lai’s persistent promotion of the new “two states” theory has seriously escalated tensions in the Taiwan Strait, seriously endangered the well-being of Taiwanese people, and significantly undermined peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

A report by AFP on October 10 said that “Lai has been more outspoken than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen,” angering Beijing, which calls him a “separatist.” By inciting ‘anti-China’ sentiments on the island, he is creating a so-called public opinion base for future ‘Taiwan independence actions’ to confuse the international community and internationalize the Taiwan issue.

In the current era of globalization, peace and development are the mainstream; all actions that undermine peace and stability will be condemned by the international community. Lai’s so-called “pragmatic Taiwan independence line” cannot disguise his hypocritical pursuit of secession and his treacherous character, which poses a serious challenge to the international order reshaped after World War II and poses a significant threat to regional and even global security .

Different systems are not a barrier to unification, nor are they an excuse for division. Taiwan’s future lies in national unification, and the well-being of Taiwan’s people is linked to national rejuvenation. Whatever Lai says cannot change Taiwan’s legal status as part of China, or the reality that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China. In response to Lai’s dangerous provocations, the mainland will resolutely counter and punish them. Any attempt to split the country or undermine peace and stability is doomed to failure. The international community must jointly uphold the one-China principle and oppose any form of separatist activities in the area of ​​Taiwan independence to ensure regional peace and stability. At the same time, we hope that Taiwan’s compatriots can see the situation clearly, work together to safeguard the hard-won peace and create a bright future for relations between the two countries.