Taipei, Oct 7 (Alliance News):Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, in a bold and strategically timed speech, emphasized that it is “absolutely impossible” for Communist China to claim Taiwan as its motherland, citing the island’s older government as proof of its sovereignty.
Lai, who assumed office in May, has long been a staunch advocate for Taiwan’s independence, drawing the ire of Beijing.
His remarks come as China continues to assert its right to “reunify” with Taiwan, a self-governing democracy. Beijing has even threatened to use force to achieve this goal.
“Despite having never controlled Taiwan, China’s ruling Communist Party insists on claiming the island. But the people of Taiwan see themselves as distinctly Taiwanese, with no desire to become part of the People’s Republic of China,” Lai declared.
In a historical dig that’s likely to enrage Beijing, Lai pointed out that Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), was established in 1912, while the People’s Republic of China (PRC) only came into existence in 1949.
“In terms of age, it is absolutely impossible for the PRC to be the motherland of the ROC,” Lai remarked during a concert ahead of Taiwan’s National Day on October 10.
A Rivalry Rooted in History
Lai’s speech delved into Taiwan’s unique historical identity. The ROC was founded after a Nationalist revolution that toppled the Qing Dynasty in mainland China. Meanwhile, Taiwan was under Japanese colonial rule at the time.
The ROC gained control of Taiwan after Japan’s defeat in World War II. However, when the Nationalist government lost a civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communist forces, they fled to Taiwan, establishing Taipei as the ROC’s seat of government in 1949.
Since then, Taiwan and mainland China have been governed separately, with Chinese leaders, including Xi Jinping, vowing to one day reclaim Taiwan. In recent years, Xi has escalated military threats and rhetoric, raising fears of a future confrontation.
A Timely Message
As Taiwan’s National Day approaches, Lai’s speech highlighted the different paths taken by Taipei and Beijing. While China celebrated its 75th anniversary on October 1, Lai noted Taiwan’s 113-year history as the ROC, sparking applause from the crowd.
“On the contrary, the Republic of China may actually be the motherland of citizens of the People’s Republic of China who are over 75 years old,” he said, a remark that deepened the political divide between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
While Beijing has yet to respond to Lai’s comments, Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party criticized the president for stoking tensions with China. Ling Tao, a KMT politician, accused Lai of inciting confrontation between Taiwan and the mainland.
Beijing’s Unrelenting Push for ‘Reunification’
Despite these criticisms, Chinese President Xi Jinping remains adamant about Taiwan’s eventual return to China.
At a banquet marking the PRC’s anniversary, Xi reiterated that reunification with Taiwan is inevitable and vowed to continue opposing Taiwan’s independence efforts.
However, with Lai set to deliver his first National Day address as Taiwan’s president in a few days, the tensions across the Taiwan Strait seem poised to escalate even further.