Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has said that “the People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan.” But he added that Taiwan’s “efforts to maintain the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait remain unchanged.”
Lai delivered a speech at a ceremony on Thursday to mark Double Tenth Day. Taiwan considers October 10 as its national day.
Lai said that “the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other,” reiterating his view that Taiwan is distinct from China.
He said his mission is to “uphold the commitment to resist annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty.”
But he also expressed his intention to seek dialogue and exchanges with China as equals.
He said Taiwan hopes China will respond to international expectations to exert its influence and work with other countries toward ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East.
He also said he hopes China will work with Taiwan to contribute to the peace and security of the region and the globe.
With Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature in mind, Lai called on the Taiwanese people to unite. He said that the interests of political parties must never come before the interests of the people.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and is wary of Lai, labeling him a separatist.
Since Lai took office in May, China has intensified military pressure through exercises by its forces around Taiwan.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning slammed the speech by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
She said in a news conference on Thursday that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and that the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the entire China.
The spokesperson went on to say the historic flow that China will eventually be unified cannot be stopped, regardless of what Lai’s administration says or does.
Mao also stated that Taiwan has never been a country and will never become a country, and that it fundamentally has no “so-called sovereignty.”