China slams Taiwan's President Lai for speech mentioning independence

Business Standard

24-06-2025

China's fear is that Lai will go beyond those words and formalise independence with steps such as writing it into the constitution
Bloomberg
By Yian Lee
China harshly condemned Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te for a speech aimed at rallying the democracy's 23 million people to stand up to its larger neighbor — a back-and-forth that illustrates a deepening cross-strait divide.
Lai was 'wantonly spreading separatist remarks about 'Taiwan independence,'' the People's Daily said in a commentary on Tuesday, adding the address 'was a provocation that was strong and harmful.' The article also called Lai a litany of names such as 'warmaker,' while also saying his remarks displayed 'madness.'
The exchange offers a reminder that Taiwanese independence is a red line for China. Beijing has refused to deal with Lai since he took office in May last year because he doesn't acknowledge its view that Taiwan is part of China. For that reason, it has ramped up military pressure on his government, as evidenced by the People's Liberation Army sending dozens of warplanes across a key dividing line in the Taiwan Strait last week.
Lai has made countering China's pressure and preparing Taiwan for a potential conflict a priority for his government. His speech on Sunday was the first of 10 he plans over the next few months on topics such as national defense and cross-strait issues that he says are intended to bring Taiwan together.
Lai's future addresses are likely to draw similarly strong rebuttals from China, possibly escalating tensions and complicating foreign policy for the US. Washington is Taipei's most important military backer and it is keen to avoid an unnecessary fight with Beijing.
Lai and his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, have made similar remarks about independence in the past. Lai said it during his inauguration speech in May last year, leading to harsh criticism from China. Tsai used the phrase in a 2020 interview with the BBC.
China's fear is that Lai will go beyond those words and formalise independence with steps such as writing it into the constitution. Lai has pledged in the past to stick to the status quo in cross-strait ties, and officials in Taipei have downplayed the chances of a conflict with China anytime soon.
The addresses also come as Lai and Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party try to recall and replace opposition lawmakers. The strategy is intended to give the DPP a majority in the legislature, a change that would allow it to step up military spending via a special budget.
The opposition Kuomintang prefers closer ties to China and criticized Lai's speech, saying it was aimed at supporting the recall effort. It said Lai should focus on issues people care about, such as trade negotiations with the US, property prices and crime.