Beijing slams Taiwanese leader Lai’s New Year’s speech as ‘lies’ and ‘malice’
William Lai vows to boost Taiwan’s defences in televised address days after PLA holds live-fire military drills around the island
Chen Binhua, spokesman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), said on Thursday that Lai’s speech “once again peddled the fallacy of ‘Taiwan independence’, incited cross-strait confrontation and reiterated the old tune of ‘democracy versus authoritarianism’”.
Chen said the speech once again exposed Lai’s “unwavering” pro-independence stance and “stubborn confrontational mindset”.
“[This] fully confirms him as an out-and-out ‘peace destroyer’, ‘crisis creator’ and ‘war instigator’,” Chen said, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Chen accused Lai of “constantly fabricating separatist fallacies, deliberately escalating cross-strait confrontation, and exacerbating tensions in the Taiwan Strait” since taking office.
“The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable, and the complete reunification of the motherland will surely be achieved,” he said, adding that Beijing hoped compatriots in Taiwan would “firmly stand on the right side of history” and resolutely oppose separatism and external interference.