China threatens new Taiwanese president with “retaliation” after inauguration speech
China on Tuesday described the inauguration speech the day before by new Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as an “admission of Taiwan’s independence” and threatened him with “retaliation”.
Published on 05/21/2024 at 8:06 p.m.
This speech “can be described as a true admission of Taiwan’s independence”, according to a press release from the Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office released in the evening, referring to future “retaliations”.
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Mr. Lai, whom Beijing has called a “dangerous separatist” in the past, was sworn in on Monday on the island. He promised to defend democracy there in the face of Chinese threats and called on China to “stop its political and military intimidation”.
He also spoke directly about the risk of war after years of increasing pressure from China to bring Taiwan under its control.
Taiwanese separatists “will be pilloried of shame for history,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi commented on Tuesday, according to a press release from his ministry.
“Lai Ching-te’s betrayal of his nation and his ancestors is shameful,” the minister added during a meeting of foreign ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries.
“But whatever they do, they will not be able to prevent China from finally achieving complete reunification,” he continued.
“I would like to emphasize that no matter what (Lai) says or how he says it, it will not change the status and the fact that Taiwan is part of China,” argued the spokesperson for his part. word from the Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office, Chen Binhua.
An impassable red line
Taiwan has been self-governing since 1949, when nationalists took refuge on the island after their defeat by communist forces in the Chinese civil war on the mainland.
Beijing considers the democratically governed island to be part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control.
Washington abandoned diplomatic recognition of Taipei in favor of Beijing in 1979, but remained Taiwan’s most important partner and its main arms supplier.
China said Tuesday it had complained to the United States about US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s congratulations to Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te.
In his congratulatory message, Blinken said he hoped Washington and Taipei would maintain “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Beijing also declared on Tuesday that Mr. Blinken’s message “seriously violated the principle of one China (…) and sent the wrong signal to separatist forces.”
China is “strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to this approach and has responded severely to the United States,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press conference.
An American delegation on site
“The Taiwan issue lies at the core of China’s core interests and constitutes the first insurmountable red line in China-US relations,” Wang added.
China unveiled new sanctions on Monday against three American companies selling weapons to Taiwan.
Eight heads of state, those of the rare countries that recognize Taiwan, participated in the inauguration ceremony of the Taiwanese president on Monday as well as several dozen delegations.
A US delegation – including former National Economic Council Director Brian Deese and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage – attended in Taipei.
Beijing strongly condemned the delegations’ presence, calling it “gross interference in China’s internal affairs” and saying it “endangered peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan says it detected 32 Chinese warplanes around the island
“We strongly request relevant countries and politicians to stop engaging in political manipulation on Taiwan-related issues, stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan separatist forces, and stop taking wrong actions that go against international good faith,” Mr. Wang also said.
