Mainland condemns Lai's remarks, reaffirms opposition to 'Taiwan independence'

A Chinese mainland spokeswoman on Wednesday dismissed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's recent remarks opposing reunification, reiterating that "Taiwan independence" separatism is doomed to fail. Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular news conference that Lai's remarks and actions cannot change the historical and legal fact that Taiwan is part of China's territory, nor can they stop the inevitable historical trend of reunification. She made the remarks in response to Lai's claim that "the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other". Zhang criticized the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan for their stubborn adherence to a separatist "Taiwan independence" position and their attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, in which both sides belong to one China. She said the DPP's actions amount to a denial of the outcomes of victory in World War II and a challenge to the postwar international order. She stressed that the international community's adherence to the one-China principle and opposition to "Taiwan independence" separatism, together with mainstream public opinion on the island calling for peace, development, exchanges, and cooperation, fully demonstrate that "Taiwan independence" separatism has no future, and that "anti-China" efforts are destined to fail. Lai made the remarks during a meeting with foreign correspondents in Taipei on June 18. Zhang said his repeated public rhetoric exposed his anxiety and unease, adding that it further confirmed that "Taiwan independence" is increasingly reaching a dead end. In the same remarks, Lai urged the Chinese mainland to abandon military expansion in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait, and to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, while stating that Taiwan is willing to engage in dialogue with the mainland on the basis of "equal dignity". Noting that the situations in the South China Sea and East China Sea remain generally stable, Zhang said the DPP authorities' separatist stance and attempts to pursue "Taiwan independence" by relying on external forces and military means remain the root cause of tensions and instability in the Taiwan Strait. "We are willing to make the utmost sincere efforts to pursue the prospect of peaceful reunification, but we will never commit to renouncing the use of force, nor will we leave any room for any form of 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities," she said. According to media reports, the island's military launched a five-day "immediate combat readiness drill" on Monday. The drill aims to test the responsiveness of various combat zones and their joint operational capabilities in the event of any actions by the mainland. Zhang said the so-called drill conceals the DPP authorities' sinister intent to pursue "Taiwan independence" through military means, adding that it demonstrates they are a root cause of cross-Strait confrontation and tension, and a destabilizing factor for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. She described the DPP authorities' posturing as futile in the face of the powerful People's Liberation Army, saying it would only harm Taiwan and ultimately lead to their own downfall. Only by recognizing the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, and ending separatist activities can the DPP authorities restore cross-Strait dialogue and return relations to the correct path of peaceful development, Zhang added.