The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is not the “motherland” of the Republic of China (ROC) and has never owned Taiwan, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.
The speech was the third in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to deliver across Taiwan.
Taiwan is facing external threats from China, Lai said at a Lions Clubs International banquet in Hsinchu.
Photo: Screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr page
For example, on June 21 the army detected 12 Chinese aircraft, eight of which entered Taiwanese waters, as well as six Chinese warships that remained in the waters around Taiwan, he said.
Beyond military and political intimidation, Taiwan faces threats to its national sovereignty and identity, as China promotes the narrative internationally that Taiwan is a part of China, Lai said.
China also conducts espionage activities involving the Taiwanese military, he said, citing the example of army units formed by the Rehabilitation Alliance Party and Taiwan Military Government made up of active and retired military personnel.
China uses every chance it can to confuse Taiwanese national identity, even forcing some Taiwanese artists and performers to say that the PRC is their motherland, he said.
This is incorrect — the ROC has a 114-year history, whereas the PRC only has a history of about 70 years, so it is impossible, he said.
Lai went on to say that Taiwan is a kind-hearted society that donates to China when the latter experiences natural disasters, and is willing to get along with Beijing.
However, China has exploited Taiwan’s goodwill to carry out “united front” infiltration activities, Lai said.
In addition, China lures Taiwanese entrepreneurs and young people to develop their careers there, but is now facing economic difficulties and should not portray itself as having ample development opportunities, he said.
On the other hand, the Taiwanese economy has been performing well over the past few years, and the government helps industries to solve problems so that Taiwanese companies can expand globally, he added.
The G7 Summit in the past few years has emphasized that stability in the Taiwan Strait is essential to global security and prosperity, firmly opposing any forced changes in the regional “status quo,” Lai said.
The China issue is not merely Taiwan’s problem, but a matter of international concern, he said.
Mentioning that he previously hosted a high-level national security meeting to designate China as a foreign hostile force, Lai added that, as president, he is the protector of the Constitution and hopes that the nation’s constitutional system can return to normal, with a functioning Constitutional Court and strong public participation.
Lai also expressed hope that Taiwanese can stand united in safeguarding the nation, which he said he sees as his mission and responsibility.
Lai also discussed democracy and the Constitution, saying that the only solution to Taiwan’s current democratic issues involves more democracy, including Constitutional Court rulings and citizens exercising their civil rights.
The Legislative Yuan is facing democratic issues that can only be resolved through more democracy to allow the nation to continue progressing, he said.
The first element of “more democracy” is Constitutional Court rulings, which strengthen the structure of the government and clarify the scope of each government branch’s authority, he said.
The second element is the direct exercise of civil rights, which deepens democracy by gathering broader public strength to defend democratic Taiwan and safeguard the future of the next generation, he added.
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