Many observers and analysts viewed the inauguration of new Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te on May 20 as a day of celebration for Taiwan and its western allies, including the United States, amid increasing Chinese pugilism in the waters around Taiwan. However, with Lai, whom China openly loathed for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty, as the new president, there is a likelihood China will step up its intimidation, both military and propaganda, and war rhetoric. Talks of China invading Taiwan in the near future will also likely not be abated.
Lai emerged victorious over rivals in the pro-China opposition Kuomintang and the Taiwan People’s Party in a January election. Communist China has never ruled Taiwan, a democracy of 23 million people, but regards the self-governing island as part of the mainland, insisting that it could reunite the island with mainland China, by force if necessary. Taiwan has dismissed China’s territorial claims.
During Lai’s inaugural speech, titled “Building a democratic, peaceful, and prosperous new Taiwan”, he declared that Beijing should admit Taiwan’s existence as a self-governing island democracy because the future of Taiwan will be decided by its 23 million people only. He said that “in a democracy, the people have the final say”, adding that the interests of the people come first, which is the root of democracy. He emphasized that national interests must come before the interests of political parties.
Lai’s speech also addressed the global audience, pointing out Taiwan’s roles in semiconductor manufacturing and AI, and the importance of maintaining geopolitical stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Hence, Lai called for the free world to support Taiwan as it attempts to co-exist with the Beijing communist regime.
Lai said: “Peace is priceless, and war has no winners. Next year, we will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. As with other nations, Taiwan walked a difficult path for post-war revitalization, before getting to where we are today. No one wants these achievements to be destroyed by war.
“Today, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and conflict between Israel and Hamas continue to shake the whole world. And China’s military actions and gray-zone coercion are considered the greatest strategic challenges to global peace and stability.
“Taiwan is strategically positioned in the first island chain, and what affects us here affects global geopolitical development. Even as early as 1921, Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水) said that Taiwan is a frontline guardian of world peace. Now, in 2024, Taiwan’s role is even more significant.
“There is already a strong international consensus, that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to global security and prosperity.”
Lai called on China to “cease political and military intimidation against Taiwan, share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the greater region, and ensure the world is free from the fear of war.” He hoped that “China will face the reality of the Republic of China’s existence, respect the choices of the people of Taiwan, and in good faith, choose dialogue over confrontation, exchange over containment, and under the principles of parity and dignity, engage in cooperation with the legal government chosen by Taiwan’s people.”
Recently, during an interview with Time magazine, Lai was questioned about Nauru’s move to switch diplomatic sides from Taipei to Beijing just two days after his election victory in January this year.
“China’s ambition to annex Taiwan is part of their national policy,” Lai asserted. “If our diplomatic allies decide to switch allegiance and choose the PRC, we wish them well,” Lai responded.
To ramp up pressure on Taiwan, Beijing has tried to diplomatically alienate the island, which is banned from the UN and World Health Organization, and is officially acknowledged by just 12 governments, including Eswatini, Paraguay, Haiti and the Vatican. Since 2016, 10 former Taiwanese diplomatic allies have jumped ship to China. These former allies include Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Solomon Islands, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
When questioned if he was concerned that Chinese authoritarian leader Xi Jinping “is becoming emboldened and impatient about resolving the so-called Taiwan issue”, Lai responded: “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable elements of global peace and prosperity. We will neither yield nor provoke. We will maintain the status quo and fulfill our responsibilities. I invite President Xi to jointly shoulder with us the responsibility of maintaining peace and stability, building regional prosperity, and advancing world peace.”
Furthermore, when asked about his comment that China and Taiwan “are not subordinate to each other” in his inaugural address, Lai replied that Taiwan has its own people, land, sovereignty and government, and that according to international law, Taiwan is already an independent country.
On June 21, China threatened to impose the death penalty for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists. Lai, on June 24, rebuked that democracy is not a crime and that the real “evil” is autocracy. The Taiwanese government raised the travel warning for China, instructing Taiwanese not to travel to the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, unless absolutely necessary.
Photo credit: Pixabay/ Robert Waghorn
