Verbal acrobatics belie Lai's true colors as peace saboteur, crisis maker, war instigator: China Daily editorial

Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te once again demonstrated in his speech in Taipei on Saturday that no amount of rhetorical camouflage can conceal a secessionist agenda. Behind his professed "commitment" to "peace" and "democracy" lies a dangerous calculation: pursuing "Taiwan independence" through ideological confrontation, military buildup and reliance on external forces.

By baselessly sensationalizing the so-called "threat" of the Chinese mainland and falsely portraying cross-Strait relations as a contest between "democracy and authoritarianism", Lai sought to disguise secessionism as a "defense" of "democratic values".

Yet "democracy" cannot be invoked to justify splitting a country. Not to mention what the Lai authorities practice in Taiwan is by no means true democracy, as they suppress and marginalize dissenting voices by labeling them as "accomplices" of "external threats".

The great lengths Lai went to in his performance to promote his secessionist evil cause cannot alter the historical and legal facts concerning China's Taiwan region.

It was particularly perfidious for Lai to say that he would never allow the "distortion" of World War II history, as that is exactly what he has been trying to do in pursuit of a secessionist agenda. He cannot change the reality that the one-China principle is a basic norm governing international relations, widely acknowledged by the international community, and an integral part of the postwar international order.

Notably, during the meeting between the heads of state of China and the United States in Washington last month, the two leaders recalled that China and the US were allies in WWII and fought side by side to win the war.

The attempt by Lai to distort the history of WWII and the postwar international order essentially reveals his anxiety and unease at this joint affirmation of the historical truth by Beijing and Washington.

In his speech, Lai pledged to continue military reforms, strengthen the island's "asymmetric warfare capabilities" and increase military spending, while disingenuously claiming that these measures were intended to "deter war" rather than provoke it. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities led by Lai have actively courted external forces, pursued a so-called "whole-of-society mobilization" and tried to turn the island into a battlefield.

By doing so, they are tying the residents of Taiwan to the chariot of "Taiwan independence", undermining stability across the Taiwan Strait and sacrificing the region's future, as Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesman Chen Xi said on Sunday.

Lai's verbal acrobatics unmistakably reveal his true colors as a saboteur of peace, a maker of crises and an instigator of war.

The deterioration of cross-Strait relations since the secessionist-minded DPP came to power in 2016 proves that secessionist moves in pursuit of "Taiwan independence" pose the greatest threat to peace and stability across the Strait.

Lai's stubborn adherence to secessionism runs counter to Taiwan compatriots' aspirations for peace, development and cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation.

As Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, pointed out on Saturday, Lai's speech was a typical display of his self-proclaimed stance as a "pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence", disregarding facts, distorting right and wrong, misleading the public and harboring ulterior motives.

Both history and reality make it clear that Taiwan's future should be decided by all Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots. Differences in political systems are neither an obstacle to China's reunification nor an excuse for splitting the country.

The mainland remains committed to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, while promoting cross-Strait exchanges, cooperation, peaceful development and integrated growth. These efforts serve the shared interests of the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, as Zhang said.

Taiwan compatriots should fully recognize the extreme danger and harm posed by the Lai authorities' obstinate pursuit of "Taiwan independence", and resolutely oppose the separatist forces and external interference.

Peace and "Taiwan independence" are fundamentally incompatible. No matter how hard Lai tries, he cannot change that reality.