BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te reiterated his secessionist agenda and stoked cross-Strait tensions in a speech in Taipei on Saturday, using carefully crafted rhetoric to mislead the Taiwan public and sway international opinion.
Once again, he invoked "democracy" to sensationalize the so-called "mainland threat" and promote a false narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism." Such rhetoric seeks to exploit the concept of democracy to justify secessionism.
The Taiwan question originated from a civil war fought between the forces led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang (KMT) about eight decades ago. In 1949, the defeated KMT retreated to Taiwan, while the People's Republic of China was founded under the leadership of the CPC.
The unresolved civil war and foreign interference have left the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in a prolonged state of political confrontation. However, the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory has never changed.
Both history and reality make clear that Taiwan's future should be jointly 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.
Lai said he would "never allow the distortion of World War II history." Yet his own words have repeatedly distorted history and undermined the outcomes of WWII.
Lai refused to say a word about China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the historical fact that Taiwan was restored to China after being freed from Japan's colonial rule. Instead, he has used the term "the end of the war," favored by Japanese right-wing forces, in place of references to Japan's defeat in the war.
Lai's speech also contained statements that stoked confrontation across the Strait rather than promoting reconciliation. He pledged to continue military reforms, strengthen asymmetric warfare capabilities and increase military spending, while claiming that these measures were intended to deter war rather than provoke it.
But such rhetoric cannot conceal his true colors as a saboteur of peace, a maker of crises and an instigator of war.
The worsening of cross-Strait relations since the secessionist-minded Democratic Progressive Party came to power in 2016 demonstrates that secessionist moves in pursuit of "Taiwan independence" pose the greatest threat to peace and stability across the Strait.
Since taking office, Lai has established a so-called Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, constantly conducted military exercises and civil-military integrated drills, designated numerous civilian facilities as purported wartime response centers, expanded military spending, and stepped up arms purchases from external sources. These moves have heightened cross-Strait tensions and exposed Taiwan to greater security risks.
Lai's stubborn adherence to secessionism runs counter to the Taiwan people's aspirations for peace, development, and cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation. It also disregards the broader interests of the Chinese nation. No matter how he repackages his rhetoric or disguises his intentions, the secessionist agenda behind his words remains evident.
Reunification is an inevitable historical trend. Attempts to pursue "Taiwan independence," including through military means, lead nowhere. People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share fundamental interests in peace, stability and development.
People in Taiwan should join their fellow Chinese on the mainland in opposing secessionism, upholding peace and stability across the Strait, and advancing the cause of national reunification. ■
