China’s will to oppose Taiwan’s independence is “as firm as a rock” and its ability to “crush” any attempt at secession is “unwavering,” a Chinese government spokeswoman said Wednesday.
“Taiwan has never been a country, it was not in the past and it absolutely will not be in the future. The lies of William Lai (Taiwan’s president) will remain lies even if he repeats them a thousand times and will never become true,” said Zhang Han, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council (Chinese Executive), in a routine press conference.
The Chinese official was referring, specifically, to Lai’s recent intervention at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, in which he stated that democracy is Taiwan’s “most precious asset” and that the Taiwanese people “know very well that democracy is earned, not granted.”
“The Taiwanese people have never retreated from growing external challenges and will never submit to pressure. Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation (…). No attempt to isolate Taiwan will alter our determination to participate in the international community,” the island leader stressed in a video message.
Beijing warns of “a real political farce”
During his press appearance this Wednesday, Zhang assured that Taiwanese authorities often use democracy as a “pretext to show off and deceive the international community”, trying to “attract anti-Chinese forces from certain countries” and “incite confrontation” between both sides of the strait.
“All of this constitutes an authentic political farce that has long been clearly seen by the world and that will only be won,” the spokesperson asserted.
“William Lai’s clumsy actions cannot hide his despicable acts of repression against political opponents and restriction of freedom of expression within the island, nor his dictatorial nature. ‘Democracy’ is false; seeking ‘independence’ is the true thing,” Zhang added.
These statements occurred on the eve of the summit between Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing, where they are scheduled to address the situation on the self-governed island, among other issues on the bilateral agenda.
For more than seven decades, the United States has been in the middle of disputes between both parties, since Washington is committed by law to providing Taiwan with the necessary means for its self-defense and, although it does not maintain diplomatic ties with the island, it could defend it in the event of a conflict with Beijing.
In addition to discussing arms sales, Xi could also use his meeting with Trump to try to modify Washington’s official stance on Taiwan, either by pushing for a declaration of “opposition” to Taiwanese independence or by seeking language more favorable to China’s stance on “reunification.”
