Beijing has again labelled Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te a “destroyer of peace” in the Taiwan Strait following his recent remarks reiterating his position that the island and mainland China are not “subordinate to one another”.
The mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday said that Lai claimed to “desire peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait, but in reality he “obstinately” adhered to his “Taiwan independence” stance and repeatedly advocated for separatist rhetoric.
“Lai is intentionally destroying peace, restricting cross-strait exchanges, and scheming to rely on foreign support or force to achieve independence,” said TAO spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian.
“The latest statement once again exposed his true nature as a destroyer of cross-strait peace and a creator of Taiwan Strait crises.”
Zhu was referring to Lai’s remarks at a Lunar New Year event for the island’s business leaders on Monday organised by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), a semi-official body aimed at easing cross-strait relations.
“Sovereignty is essential for the existence of a country; without Taiwan there is no Republic of China,” Lai said at the event, using Taiwan’s official name for itself.
Lai said he would uphold four principles introduced by his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, including “maintaining that the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other”.
It was not the first time Lai had championed the slogan. At his inauguration speech in May, he angered Beijing by asserting that the two sides were “not subordinate” to each other.
The principles proposed by Tsai also included upholding the “democratic and free constitutional system”, protecting “Taiwan’s sovereignty from infringement and annexation”, and allowing Taiwan’s people to determine their own future, Lai said.
