The mainland Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday slammed Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te for once again promoting separatist rhetoric and attempting to seek “Taiwan independence” through military means, while expressing appreciation for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent remarks affirming that Taiwan is part of China.
Zhang Han, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to questions concerning Lai’s comments at an event in Kinmen marking the 68th anniversary of the 1958 artillery battle.
The question noted that Lai had once again hyped a “new two-state theory” and called on people on the island to support so-called “national defense, defend the country and safeguard democracy,” while advocating for resistance to reunification through military means.
“Lai Ching-te stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of ‘Taiwan independence,’ continuously spreads fallacies and distortions advocating ‘Taiwan independence,’ deliberately twists history, and goes all out to hype the so-called ‘China threat,'” Zhang said.
Zhang said Lai has continued to incite anti-China sentiment and confrontation and has attempted to “resist reunification by force” and “seek independence by force,” pushing Taiwan step by step toward the danger of conflict.
“He is an out-and-out destroyer of peace across the Taiwan Straits and a creator of crises in the Taiwan Straits,” Zhang said.
The spokesperson warned Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party authorities that the historical trend toward reunification cannot be stopped and that attempts to seek “independence” through military means would only accelerate their own demise.
Zhang also called on Taiwan compatriots to recognize the deceptive and harmful nature of Lai’s separatist provocations, oppose “Taiwan independence” separatism and take concrete actions to safeguard their own security and well-being as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.
At the same press conference, Zhang also responded to remarks recently made by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim concerning the Taiwan question.
It was reported that Anwar said in a recent interview that Taiwan is part of China, drawing an analogy with a hypothetical situation in which a Malaysian state sought to break away, saying that he would likewise defend the sanctity and unity of his country.
Taiwan’s so-called “external affairs authority” subsequently claimed that Anwar’s remarks had “belittled Taiwan’s sovereignty” and could undermine the confidence of Taiwan businesses considering investment in Malaysia.
“We appreciate the position of relevant countries in upholding the one-China principle,” Zhang said.
“There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. There is no such thing as ‘Taiwan sovereignty,'” she said.
Zhang accused the DPP authorities of stubbornly adhering to the separatist position of “Taiwan independence,” spreading separatist arguments abroad and repeatedly attempting to pressure other countries by invoking trade and investment.
Such behavior, she said, “precisely exposes the essence of their attempt to seek ‘independence’ through economic means.”
