Experts condemn Lai, citing legal, historical documents

Experts from both sides of the Taiwan Strait have unequivocally condemned the "Taiwan independence" stance of Lai Ching-te, the new leader of China's Taiwan region, saying that his "inauguration" speech seriously violated the legal and historical facts supporting the one-China principle.

The recent countermeasures adopted by the Chinese mainland, including the military exercises conducted by the People's Liberation Army around Taiwan, are specifically targeted at "Taiwan independence" forces, they said on Saturday during an academic activity held at Xiamen University in Fujian province.

The scholars participated in a discussion of the one-China principle, understood in the context of the 1943 Cairo Declaration, and criticized the erroneous historical views hyped by "Taiwan independence" separatist forces on the island. The scholars also slammed external forces for using their discourse power to distort historical records.

Chi Chia-lin, who heads the Reunification Alliance Party in Taiwan, said a series of documents and announcements, including the Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, confirmed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.

The declaration is a legal document with the effect of international law, he said, adding that it not only has legal effect in form, but is also supported by historical legitimacy.

Chi criticized Lai, who owes allegiance to the island's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, for publicly claiming that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are "not subordinate to each other", saying that such remarks could bring unpredictable risks to cross-Strait relations.

He said the DPP authorities' de-Sinicization education policy has led to the island's history being distorted, and there is no longer any curriculum about the history of China in the island's high school education system.

"When history is forgotten, one will lose one's sense of justice and the ability to distinguish right from wrong, not knowing where one comes from," Chi said.

However, about 60 percent of Taiwan's population does not support Lai, especially his "two-state" theory, and the people of Taiwan desire communication with the mainland, Chi said, adding that "only through extensive communication can peace in the Strait be guaranteed".

Zhang Haipeng, a history expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 is of great significance, because it has made it clear that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is a part of China, not a country.

The resolution also clearly states that the Chinese government is the only legitimate representative of China in the UN, and that there are no "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan", he said.

Zhong Wanyu contributed to this story.