China Accuses Taiwan Of Escalating Tensions

China has pointed a finger at Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te and said that he is escalating tensions with “sinister intentions”.

Accusation By China

The Chinese government made this accusation ahead of a keynote speech Lai will givein Taipei.

It detests Lai and calls him a “separatist.”

Lai took office in May after winning election in January.

China staged “punishment” war games around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration.

Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a view Lai and his government reject.

Lai Confusing right from wrong, says China’s Taiwan Affairs Office

Responding to Lai’s comments on how it is “impossible” for the People’s Republic of China to become Taiwan’s motherland, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said he was confusing right from wrong.

Lai continues to peddle a theory that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are two separate countries, it said in a statement.

“Lai Ching-te’s Taiwan independence fallacy is just old wine in a new bottle.

It further said that this exposes Lai’s obstinate stance on Taiwan independence and his sinister intentions of escalating hostility and confrontation.

Lai’s National Day Speech On Thursday

Lai will give his main national day speech on Thursday.

This day marks the overthrow of the last Chinese dynasty in 1911 and the ushering in of the Republic of China.

The defeated republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists.

The Republic of China remains Taiwan’s formal name.

Taiwan’s China policy making Mainland Affairs Council said it was an objective fact that since 1949 the People’s Republic of China had never ruled the island.

“The Taiwan Affairs Office’s remarks have made Taiwan’s people see clearly that the Chinese communists regard themselves as the sole legitimate government of China and simply do not allow any room for the survival of the Republic of China,” it said.

Military Response Expected In Response To Lai’s Speech

China is likely to launch military drills near Taiwan in response to Lai’s speech.

Taiwanese officials say that the military drills are a pretext to pressure the island to accept its sovereignty claims.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said they could not speculate on what China would or would not do.

The spokesperson emphasized that using routine annual celebrations or public remarks as a pretext for provocative or coercive measures undermines peace and stability.

Only The Taiwanese Can Decide Their Future: Lai

Lai says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future, and has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing but been rebuffed.

(With inputs from Reuters)