Photo: Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council

When asked for comments on the content related to cross-Straits relations in the "10 Talks on the Country" speech delivered by Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te on Tuesday, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday that the speech amounts to a separatist act that admits to supporting "Taiwan independence"  and is aimed at intensifying the false recognition of "Taiwan independence."

In his speech, Lai repeated the old tune of "Taiwan independence," deliberately misinterpreted history, attempted to create hatred and dissatisfaction, exacerbated social divisions on the island and once again hyped up the "new two-state theory" of "mutual non-subordination," deliberately inciting provocation and escalating cross-Straits tensions, Zhu added.

Zhu noted that "Taiwan independence" is a dead end. The future of Taiwan lies in national reunification, and the well-being of Taiwan compatriots is tied to national rejuvenation. 

"Only by jointly promoting the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and working together to advance the complete reunification of the country can we safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, enhance the interests and well-being of compatriots and provide a broad path for promoting social harmony and tranquility in Taiwan and enabling Taiwan compatriots to live and work in peace and contentment," said Zhu, who noted this path is the correct choice for the betterment of Taiwan and its people.

Earlier this week, Chen Binhua, another spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, criticized Lai's first speech on Sunday, saying it was filled with lies and deception, hostility and provocation, and his distortions of history, reality, and legal principles will only be swept into the dustbin of history.

Chen noted that the speech deliberately distorted and fragmented history, aggressively promoted separatist "Taiwan independence" fallacies, and attempted to fabricate a theoretical basis for "Taiwan independence" in order to justify his political agenda, including advancing a so-called "mass recall" campaign for personal political gain. 

The speech was a blatant "Taiwan independence manifesto," inciting confrontation across the Straits, and was also a patchwork of deeply flawed and misguided separatist rhetoric, which fully exposed Lai's obstinate nature as a die-hard "Taiwan independence" advocate, said Chen.

The direct aim of Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities is to create a so-called politically correct narrative of "anti-China hysteria" in Taiwan through the upcoming so-called mass recall campaign, Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

At its core, Lai's strategy is about fostering hatred and discontent, exacerbating societal rifts on the island of Taiwan, and inciting conflict and turmoil across the Taiwan Straits, thereby escalating tensions between the two sides, Zheng noted. 

The content of the speech is replete with ignorance and fabrications regarding Chinese history, particularly the history of the Taiwan region, the expert said. It deliberately distorts and dissects historical narratives, naively attempting to use lies as a foundation for the separatist agenda of "Taiwan independence." This also indicates that Lai has resorted to fallacious reasoning and is cornered.

Zheng added that Lai's speech is devoid of any discussion on pressing issues related to people's well-being, clearly demonstrating that he holds little regard for Taiwan residents, and his actions offer no benefits to Taiwan society.

According to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, Eric Chu Li-luan, chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, said that Lai's speech serves only personal interests and that of the DPP authorities and therefore represents a deplorable example of democracy. Taiwan People's Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang criticized Lai's speech as vacuous, incoherent and characterized by a dissonance between rhetoric and action that has long been transparent to the people of Taiwan, according to the report.

Zheng said that an increasing number of Taiwan residents have awakened to recognize the DPP's true nature. Lai will only find himself crushed and head toward a dead end.

In response to provocations from the DPP authorities, the Chinese mainland has consistently retaliated in a timely manner, demonstrating its unwavering stance of zero tolerance toward the separatist provocations of "Taiwan independence." This reflects a resolute attitude and confidence in advancing national reunification, maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and enhancing the welfare and interests of Taiwan compatriots, the expert added.