Beijing accuses Taiwan’s William Lai of undermining cross-strait peace

Beijing has once again labeled Taiwan leader William Lai Ching-te a “destroyer of peace” in the Taiwan Strait following his recent statements reiterating his view that Taiwan and mainland China are “not subordinate to each other.”

The mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said in a statement on Wednesday that while Lai claims to “desire peace and stability” across the Taiwan Strait, he “stubbornly” adheres to the stance of “Taiwan independence” and has repeatedly advocated separatist rhetoric.

“Lai is deliberately destroying peace, restricting cross-strait exchanges, and planning to rely on foreign support or force to achieve independence,” TAO spokesman Zhu Fenglian said.

“His latest statement has once again revealed his true nature as a destroyer of cross-strait peace and a creator of Taiwan Strait crises,” Zhu added.

Zhu was referring to Lai’s remarks at Monday’s Lunar New Year event for the island’s business leaders, organized by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), a semi-official organization aimed at facilitating cross-strait relations.

“Sovereignty is essential to a country’s existence; without Taiwan, there is no Republic of China,” Lai said at the event, using Taiwan’s official name.

Lai reiterated his commitment to the four principles laid out by his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, including “advocating that the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other.”

This was not the first time Lai had advocated this slogan. In his inaugural speech in May, he angered Beijing by arguing that the two sides were “not subordinate” to each other.

Lai said the principles proposed by Tsai include preserving a “democratic and free constitutional system,” protecting “Taiwan’s sovereignty from violation and annexation,” and allowing the Taiwanese people to determine their own future.

Beijing has labeled the Taiwanese leader a “separatist” and warned that he could further escalate cross-strait tensions, which have intensified since Lai took office in May.

“Although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have not yet been fully united, the fact that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to a single China and that Taiwan is an integral part of China has never changed and cannot be changed,” Zhu said on Wednesday.

International institutions such as the United Nations and most countries, including the United States, do not recognize Taiwan as an independent state. However, Washington opposes the self-governing island’s unification with Beijing and provides Taiwan with arms and defense support.

On Monday, Lai also called for cross-strait exchanges and dialogue, pledging to create a better business environment for entrepreneurs. Business leaders at the event expressed concern over geopolitical tensions, including cross-strait frictions and US-China rivalry, according to a report by the Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council.

“We believe that peace is very valuable, and there are no winners in war,” Lai said.

“Both sides should replace conflict with exchange and dialogue with cooperation. Our common enemies are natural disasters and changes in the world; our common goal is the welfare of people on both sides of the strait,” he added.

“At a time of complex international developments, we must engage in dialogue and exchange of views to move toward a peaceful goal,” Lai said.

Lai also expressed openness to restarting cross-strait talks, suggesting that tourist groups could serve as a potential channel for dialogue.

Last month, Beijing began allowing tourist groups from Fujian province and Shanghai to visit Taiwan in a bid to strengthen exchanges after years of travel bans due to the Covid-19 pandemic and strained relations.