Lai Ching-te, who branded himself as a "pragmatic advocate for Taiwan independence," assumed office as the leader of China's Taiwan region on May 20. In his "inaugural speech, he openly declared that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are "not subordinate to each other," amplified the so-called "military threat" from the mainland, and stubbornly attempted to "seek independence by relying on external forces and using military force." Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai on his "inauguration," and the US even sent representatives to attend his "inauguration ceremony." This marks the latest instance of collusion between the US and DPP authorities challenging the one-China principle. Yet, however hard they try, the international community's commitment to upholding the one-China principle won't be shaken.
Taiwan is an integral part of China's territory that cannot be separated. Whether holding regional elections or changing the "ruling" authorities, both are internal affairs of China. In his "inaugural speech", Lai Ching-te openly advocated the "two states" theory, actively engaging Taiwan with the international community, deliberately pushing for the "internationalization of the Taiwan question," and inviting external forces to intervene in the situation across the Taiwan Strait in support of "Taiwan independence." Meanwhile, the US, through a series of erroneous statements and actions, flagrantly violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués, and breached its political commitment to maintaining only cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the Taiwan region , sending a dangerous signal to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. Once again, this makes it evident to the global community that it is the collusion between the US and the DDP authorities that poses real threats to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests, the bedrock of t he political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. The US side is well aware of this. During the China-US summit meeting in San Francisco last November, the US leader explicitly promised not to support "Taiwan independence." During the phone call between the China-US leaders in April this year, the US side reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle. These assurances remain fresh in our memory. However, there are self-contradictions and inconsistencies between words and deeds on the US side, laying bare its two-faced approach of saying one thing yet doing another.
Recently, certain US politicians have been actively aiding the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities of Taiwan to expand its "international space." They maliciously propagated the disinformation that the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 did not address the island's status. The US Congress also passed foreign aid bills that include military assistance to Taiwan. Furthermore, the US side again pushed for Taiwan to participate in the 77th World Health Assembly as an observer. These efforts highlight the US's attempt to tightly grasp Taiwan as a pawn in suppressing China's development.
Therefore, the public have noted Washington's efforts to arm Taiwan and benefit from the tribute given by the DPP authorities, while pressuring Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) to make substantial investments in the US and attempting to hollow out Taiwan's core industries. Some US politicians have even threatened to destroy TSMC if tensions escalate across the Taiwan Strait. The people of Taiwan are increasingly recognizing that the US is exploiting and depleting Taiwan, and thus trustless. If conflict erupts across the Taiwan Strait, the US is likely to stand idly by, and Taiwan will quickly transition from being a "pawn" to a "discarded piece."
From an international perspective, over the past eight years, 10 countries have severed so-called “diplomatic” ties with the Taiwan region. Despite US support and encouragement, the external space for Taiwan authorities is increasingly shrinking. This clearly demonstrates that collusions between the US and Taiwan can't change the basic fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China. Across the world, 183 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. This shows that the one-China principle is a universally recognized principle and represents the people's sentiments and a global trend.
Right now, the Chinese mainland has firmly grasped the initiative in cross-Strait relations. China has the resolve and ability to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The US side should immediately cease all forms of official exchanges with Taiwan, stop arming Taiwan, and abide by the one-China principle and the solemn political commitments made to China. If the DPP authorities and the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces persist in seeking "independence" and betraying national interests, they will definitely face severe consequences. China must and will be reunified. This is an unstoppable historical trend.
Editor's note: Originally published on news.cri.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
