China’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday accused Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te of distorting the truth, exaggerating a “mainland threat,” and promoting “Taiwan independence” following an interview Lai gave to a U.S. conservative broadcast earlier this week.
Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, said Lai’s comments on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show were “provocative and reckless,” alleging that he was pushing a separatist agenda, including advocating “independence through military means” and relying on external powers, while misleading both the local public and international opinion. Chen emphasized that Beijing has the “firm will, strong determination, and powerful capabilities” to oppose separatist activities and foreign interference.
During the interview, Lai discussed the so-called “new two-state theory” of “mutual non-subordination,” claimed that Chinese military exercises threaten peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and advocated for increased Taiwan defense spending and closer collaboration with what he called the “democratic camp” to bolster deterrence.
China’s spokesperson accused Lai of acting against mainstream public opinion in Taiwan, escalating cross-Strait tensions, and endangering the island’s economic and social development. According to Beijing, Lai has pandered to foreign powers, misused public resources, and compromised Taiwan’s long-term interests, harming local businesses and people.
Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that Lai’s actions reflect a willingness to serve as a pawn for the U.S., prioritizing a separatist agenda over the well-being of Taiwan’s population.
The tensions come amid discussions in Taiwan over defense spending. Reports indicate that Taiwan’s regional authorities plan to gradually raise defense spending to five percent of GDP, following U.S. encouragement to increase military budgets. Some U.S. officials have even suggested that Taiwan could spend up to 10 percent of GDP on defense.
The dispute also recalls earlier diplomatic friction: Lai delayed a planned Latin America trip after the U.S. rejected his planned transit through New York, which China cited as reaffirming the international consensus around the one-China principle.
Chen concluded Wednesday by stating, “We have a firm will, strong determination, and powerful capabilities to crush all ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities and external interference, safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and protect the safety and well-being of the people of Taiwan. Unification will surely prevail, ‘Taiwan independence’ will surely perish.”
