President William Lai, in his most high-profile public speech since taking office earlier this year, pledged to uphold Taiwan’s self-governing status.
In a thinly veiled reference to China’s claim to the island, Lai said he would “fulfill the commitment to oppose annexation or encroachment on our sovereignty.”
Lai addressed a crowd in Taipei to commemorate Taiwan’s National Day, just nine days after communist China celebrated its 75th anniversary.
At the same time, Lai pledged to maintain “the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait” and pledged to cooperate with Beijing on issues such as climate change, combating infectious diseases and maintaining regional security.
“The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other,” he said, referring to the governments of Taipei and Beijing respectively.
Lai earlier told visitors there would be “no surprises” in his National Day speech, seeking to reassure them he would do nothing further to agitate Beijing.
The disclaimer followed several speeches by President Lai in recent months, which some saw as provocative.
Last week, Lai said it was “absolutely impossible” for China to be Taiwan’s “motherland” because the island’s government was established in 1911, decades before mainland China’s current communist regime was established in 1949 .
“On the contrary, the Republic of China may be the motherland of citizens of the People’s Republic of China who are over 75 years old,” Lai said on Saturday during a concert to mark Taiwan’s National Day.
Taiwan maintains the Constitution of the Republic of China, which was founded on the Chinese mainland. When it lost a long civil war with the communists in 1949, the government of the Republic of China fled to Taiwan and has been based there ever since.
Last month, Lai also questioned China’s claim that its claim to the self-ruled island was based on territorial integrity. If that were the case, he suggested, Beijing would also push to recapture other so-called historic lands that were once part of the Chinese empire.
“If China wants to annex Taiwan, it is not for the sake of territorial integrity,” Lai said in an interview marking his first 100 days in office.
“If it is really for the sake of territorial integrity, why doesn’t China take Russia back?”
Lai was referring to the 1858 Treaty of Aigun, which stipulated that China must cede large parts of Manchuria to Russia. The concession came during what China calls the “century of humiliation,” when Western powers and Japan exploited the weakened Qing dynasty.
On Wednesday, the Chinese government responded by saying President Lai was escalating tensions with “sinister intentions.”
“Lai Ching-te’s independence misconception is just old wine in a new bottle, and once again exposes his stubborn stance on Taiwan’s independence and his sinister intentions to escalate hostility and confrontation,” the statement said. the Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office.
After his election in January, Lai succeeded Taiwan’s previous president, Tsai Ing-wen, who also came from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Lai’s public comments to date are considered by many political observers to go beyond anything said by his predecessor, who was much more cautious in her public speeches.
However, despite his administration’s sharper and more confrontational tone, Lai has emphasized his position of maintaining the “status quo” between Taiwan and China.
He emphasizes that Taiwan does not need to declare independence because it is already an independent, sovereign nation that has never been controlled by the People’s Republic of China.
