Latest news with #WilliamLaiChing-te
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
People's Republic of China ‘never ruled Taiwan'? Put that fallacy to rest
Last month, Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te embarked on the first of his '10 lectures on unity' , claiming Taiwan had never been a part of the People's Republic of China – and that the People's Republic of China government 'never ruled Taiwan'. This plainly disregards the facts and is self-deceiving rhetoric. Advertisement Since 1949 – and especially since 1971 – the Chinese government has exercised sovereign power over Taiwan politically and militarily, directly and indirectly, affirmatively and negatively. As the sole legitimate Chinese government widely recognised by the international community, Beijing is consulted and its opinions are respected by the United Nations and all countries concerned when it comes to affairs involving Taiwan. For a start, Taiwan's authorities are denied sovereign participation in the United Nations and other international organisations. Their participation in organisations such as the World Trade Organization, International Olympic Committee, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and Asian Development Bank is permitted only with China's consent and under appropriate formal designations, such as 'Chinese Taipei' and the 'separate customs territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu'. And its scope of participation is limited to non-political fields such as societal, economic and cultural. This is a direct manifestation of China's representative power over Taiwan and the one-China principle. Second, China does not allow any country it has diplomatic relations with to develop official ties with Taiwan's authorities. For these 183 countries , any dealings with Taiwan can only be of an unofficial, regional and civilian nature, in accordance with Beijing's stance. Any act of interference with Taiwan, for instance by selling it weapons or forming any kind of military alliance with it, is firmly opposed Advertisement Third, the Chinese government safeguards the safety, legitimate rights and interests of Taiwanese abroad. Notably, Chinese diplomatic missions provide equal protection to both mainlanders and Taiwanese.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Proposed US stopover by Taiwanese leader William Lai reportedly blocked by Washington
Read more about this: Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has no immediate plans for overseas travel, his office said on July 28, 2025. The announcement followed reports that his proposed stopover to the United States was declined by the White House. The Financial Times reported that Washington blocked Lai's New York stopover en route to South America, where he reportedly planned to visit Paraguay, Guatemala and Belize. The decision is expected to remove major obstacles for a leaders' meeting later in the year, and as a third round of China-US trade negotiations is under way in Stockholm.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
No US stopover for Taiwanese leader could ease path to Xi-Trump meeting this year
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has no immediate plans for overseas travel, his office said on Monday, following reports that his proposed stopover in the United States was declined by the Donald Trump administration. Citing people familiar with the decision, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Washington told Lai he could not stop in New York on the way to South America, where he was earlier reported to be planning to visit Paraguay, Guatemala and Belize. The decision is expected to remove significant obstacles to a potential leaders' meeting between Beijing and Washington. Taiwanese Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo attributed the decision not to travel to the ongoing rehabilitation efforts in southern Taiwan following a recent typhoon, regional developments, and the United States' tariffs. The South China Morning Post reported earlier this month that Lai was planning a US 'stopover' in August that could take him to New York and Texas en route to South America, a move that was bound to anger Beijing. The reported cancellation of Lai's planned US transit represents another significant setback for his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), following its failure on the weekend to unseat 24 lawmakers from the main opposition Kuomintang in recall votes. The Post has approached the US State Department for comment.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
No US stopover for Taiwanese leader could make room for Xi-Trump meeting this year
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has no immediate plans for overseas travel, his office said on Monday, following reports that his proposed stopover in the United States was declined by the Donald Trump administration. Advertisement Citing people familiar with the decision, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Washington told Lai he could not stop in New York on the way to South America, where he was earlier reported to be planning to visit Paraguay, Guatemala and Belize. 02:41 All 24 opposition Kuomintang lawmakers in Taiwan survive mass recall campaign All 24 opposition Kuomintang lawmakers in Taiwan survive mass recall campaign The decision is expected to remove significant obstacles to a potential leaders' meeting between Beijing and Washington. Taiwanese Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo attributed the decision not to travel to the ongoing rehabilitation efforts in southern Taiwan following a recent typhoon, regional developments, and the United States' tariffs. The South China Morning Post reported earlier this month that Lai was planning a US 'stopover' in August that could take him to New York and Texas en route to South America, a move that was bound to anger Beijing. Advertisement Lai's Democratic Progressive Party suffered a setback over the weekend, when it failed to unseat 24 lawmakers from the main opposition Kuomintang in recall votes.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan's opposition KMT and TPP look to build on momentum from recall votes
Taiwan's main opposition party the Kuomintang and the smaller Taiwan People's Party have been 're-energised' by last weekend's failed recall votes The result was widely seen as a major setback for the island's leader, William Lai Ching-te, and a turning point for the so-called Blue-White alliance between the two opposition parties. Saturday's unprecedented recall vote, which targeted 24 KMT lawmakers accused of blocking key legislation and jeopardising the island's security, ended with none losing their seats. A second round next month will target seven more KMT legislators, but observers say the chances of their removal are even slimmer given their stronger support in home districts. 'This wasn't just a failed recall – it was a political miscalculation that re-energised the opposition,' said a KMT official who spoke on condition of anonymity. 'More importantly, it allowed us to deepen coordination with the TPP in ways voters clearly supported.' The outcome has given the informal KMT-TPP coalition momentum heading into the 2026 local government elections and even the race in 2028 to elect the island's next leader.
