The Chinese mainland has issued a strong condemnation of Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te following his latest remarks on cross-strait relations. A spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council accused the leader of promoting secessionism and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
Speaking on Wednesday, spokesperson Chen Binhua described Lai's speech—which marked his second anniversary in office—as being "filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation." Chen asserted that Lai is stubbornly adhering to a secessionist stance in pursuit of "Taiwan independence" while exaggerating perceived threats from the mainland.
According to the spokesperson, Lai has employed a strategy of advocating for a secessionist agenda while simultaneously making insincere calls for dialogue and exchanges with the mainland. Chen suggested this approach is an attempt to mislead residents of Taiwan and deceive the international community.
Reaffirming the mainland's long-standing position, Chen emphasized that Taiwan has never been a country, is not one currently, and will not become one in the future. He characterized the Taiwan question as a historical issue resulting from the Chinese civil war in the 1940s.
"No election result in Taiwan could alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China or sever the historical and legal bonds linking the two sides of the Strait," Chen stated, adding that the mainland will not tolerate secessionist activities under any pretext.
Labeling secessionists as the "chief culprit" in undermining peace, the spokesperson reaffirmed that the mainland will continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus. The objective remains to unite with Taiwan compatriots and combat secessionist activities to safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
