Zhu Fenglian Photo: Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council

In response to the Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's speech on May 20, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday that those remarks are extremely arrogant and vile in nature, betray the national interest and run counter to the people's will, constituting a blatant provocation against the one-China principle and a severe disruption to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits. 

If allowed to develop, this will inevitably lead to dangerous and turbulent conditions in the Straits, inflicting great harm on the people of Taiwan, Zhu said. 

"We will not tolerate this, we will not condone it, and we will not stand idly by," the spokesperson said, noting that countermeasures and sanctions may become necessary. 

The more severe the provocation, the stronger the countermeasures. If the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities persist down the doomed path of "Taiwan independence," they will inevitably bring disaster upon themselves and suffer the consequences, the spokesperson cautioned. 

Lai's speech openly promotes the "two states" theory, attempting to seek "independence" by relying on external forces and military means. His attitude is arrogant and the nature of his actions is vile, the spokesperson noted. 

They severely undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, seriously risking the safety and well-being of Taiwan compatriots, and gravely impact Taiwan's development prospects, Zhu noted. "Insightful individuals in Taiwan have expressed deep concerns about this, reflecting the shared sentiments of the majority of Taiwan compatriots."

Following Lai's so-called "inauguration," the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) held the Joint Sword-2024A exercises surrounding the island of Taiwan from Thursday to Friday in a move aiming to punish "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and to send a warning to external interference forces. 

In response to whether the joint drills surrounding the island will become normal in the future and whether there will be "Joint Sword-2024B"and "Joint Sword-2024C" following the latest Joint Sword-2024A, the spokesperson said on Wednesday that as long as the provocation of "Taiwan independence" continues, the PLA's actions to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity will never stop.

The drills serve as a resolute punishment for the Taiwan regional leader's "5.20" speech seeking "independence" and a stern warning to external forces that condone and support "Taiwan independence" and interfere in China's internal affairs. It is a just action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhu said. 

A senior mainland official responsible for Taiwan affairs also urged the patriotic reunification forces in the island to resolutely oppose the provocations of Taiwan region leaders seeking "independence," and firmly resist the countercurrent of "de-Sinicization" attempts when meeting with representatives of Taiwan guests including Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party on Tuesday in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province. 

Our determination to resolve the Taiwan question and achieve national reunification is as solid as a rock. Our ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is indestructible, and our actions to oppose "Taiwan independence" separatism and external interference are firm and forceful, Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said during the meeting. 

No matter how the situation on the island evolves and no matter who is in power, nothing could alter or hinder the direction of cross-Strait relations or the process of national reunification, Song added. 

While the latest military exercises surrounding the island cover a wider area, which was closer to the island, involving larger forces, and had a more pronounced real-combat significance, the spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said since taking office the leader of the Taiwan region has brazenly challenged the one-China principle, adding that the mainland "will leave no room for any form of 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities." 

Zhu also emphasized that all our countermeasures are targeted at "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and external interference, not at the broad masses of Taiwan compatriots. 

"We hope that the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots will stand on the right side of history, distinguish right from wrong, act with a sense of justice, and, together with compatriots on the mainland, resolutely oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatism and external interference," the spokesperson added. 

When commenting on the Joint Sword-2024A military exercises, the UN Secretary-General spokesperson quoted the UN Resolution 2758 lately saying that "Taiwan is a province of China." In response to this remark, the spokesperson said on Wednesday that Taiwan is indeed a province of China, and we highly appreciate the UN's statement on this matter. 

In response to the US State Department's remarks on Lai's speech, the spokesperson said the  speech was a complete "Taiwan independence confession." DPP authorities and external forces such as the US are singing the same tune and "playing a double act," reversing black and white, adding that people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits can see it very clearly. 

If the US sincerely hopes for peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, it should abide by the one-China principle and its commitments to China, and clearly oppose "Taiwan independence" with practical actions, the spokesperson said. 

"No matter how the US and Taiwan collude and make trouble, it cannot change the fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is a part of China, nor can it change the general trend that China will and will inevitably be unified," Zhu said. 

In recent days, many celebrities from the island have publicly stated that "both sides of the Taiwan Straits are part of the Chinese nation," which were quickly criticized by "pro-independence" internet users, and the DPP authorities claim that "the mainland is forcing those celebrities to make such statements" and urged the mainland to stop pressuring them. Lai has also called for the public to "understand the celebrities."

The spokesperson said some celebrities have shared a "reunification" poster, which has garnered over 1.8 billion views on social media platform Weibo and over 17 million shares. 

"We hope those who claim that these statements are 'forced' can see this," Zhu said. 

Some have shared stories with their fans about their ancestral hometowns and the origins of their names learned from their elders. Others have expressed that both sides of the Straits are part of the Chinese nation and hope for deeper exchanges. "These are genuine expressions of emotion," the spokesperson said. 

Lai and some in the DPP, driven by political self-interest, are deliberately creating cross-Straits antagonism and have labeled these celebrities as being "forced to make statements." This reveals that the DPP authorities are in fact very insecure and fear that compatriots on both sides of the Straits will come closer together, the spokesperson continued. 

They not only deliberately ignore mainstream public opinion in Taiwan, which desires peace, development, exchange, and cooperation, but also go to great lengths to suppress and slander these voices. The DPP authorities are also escalating the creation of a "green terror," leading to many Taiwanese residents becoming afraid to speak their minds, Zhu said. 

We actively support celebrities from the island coming to the mainland to participate in various performance activities, jointly promoting the prosperity and development of the cross-Straits cultural market and fostering emotional resonance and spiritual connection between compatriots on both sides of the Straits, the spokesperson said. 

Global Times