Taiwan yesterday condemned what it said were “fallacious comments” by China following the nation’s presidential and legislative elections the previous day.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) used falsehoods in the statements they issued on Saturday night after the results of the election were announced.
It took issue specifically with China’s often-repeated line that Taiwan is a domestic Chinese issue.
Photo: Yang Cheng-yu, Taipei Times
The Chinese ministry said in its statement that “the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair. Whatever changes take place in Taiwan, the basic fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will not change.”
That statement “is completely inconsistent with international understanding and the current cross-strait situation. It goes against the expectation of global democratic communities and goes against the will of the people of Taiwan to uphold democratic values,” the Taiwanese statement said. “Such cliches are not worth refuting.”
Saturday’s elections saw William Lai (賴清德) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) win a three-way race for president with 40.05 percent of the vote, less than the clear majority President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) won in 2020. The DPP lost its majority in the legislature, finishing with one seat fewer than the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). Neither party holds a majority, giving the Taiwan People’s Party — a relatively new force that won eight of the 113 seats — a possible swing vote on legislation.
The statement from the TAO said the results showed that the DPP does not represent mainstream public opinion in Taiwan.
“Our stance on resolving the Taiwan question and realizing national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is rock solid,” TAO spokesperson Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said in a written statement.
In Taipei, MOFA called on China “to respect the election results.”
“China must face up to reality and abandon its efforts to pressure Taiwan” if the sides are to resume positive interactions and for cross-strait relations to return to the right track, it added.
In a press statement issued late on Saturday night, the Mainland Affairs Council also urged Beijing to “fully respect the election results and Taiwan’s public opinion,” and “rationally assess” the post-election situation.
The elections once again showcased “the unwavering determination of the people of Taiwan to safeguard the values of freedom and democracy without fearing pressure from a strong power,” the council said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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