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Tsai's last 'Double Tenth' speech a 'self-boasting show'; peace calling fails to hide secessionist essence

Global Times

By Wang Qi Published: Oct 10, 2023 09:31 PM

Taiwan island's regional leader Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday said that despite "external challenges," she's willing to develop relations with the Chinese mainland based on a mutually acceptable foundation for interaction and maintain peaceful and stable cross-Straits relations in her "Double Tenth" speech.

Analysts said the speech was full of self-boasting and attempted to deceive the Taiwan people, as it's not hard to find that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)'s secessionism and concept of "resisting reunification with force" remains unchanged, making Tsai's talk of "maintaining peace and the status quo across the Straits" hypocritical and wishful thinking.

The 2023 Double Tenth Day marks the 112 anniversary of the 1911 Revolution, which ultimately led to the collapse of the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and thousands of years of Chinese monarchy. Taiwan secessionists also commemorate the day as Taiwan's "national day" by distorting historical fact.

The outgoing regional leader will leave office in May 2024 after the island's election. Tsai listed her achievements in economic development, promoting livelihoods, and external relations as examples of the island's "increased strength." "Taiwan's democratic achievements have set a benchmark for the world... Taiwan at this moment has become a Taiwan of the world," Tsai boasted, per island-based media.

Regarding cross-Straits relations, Tsai said she's willing to develop with the mainland a mutually acceptable foundation for interaction and a path to peaceful coexistence. She said that "maintaining the status quo, as the largest common denominator for all sides, is the critical key to ensuring peace."

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, responded on Tuesday that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, which is the true status quo in the Taiwan Straits.

"In order to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, we must unequivocally adhere to the one-China principle, oppose Taiwan secession and oppose external interference."

The greatest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits is the DPP authorities' stubborn adherence to their separatist stance and their collusion with external forces. No matter what the DPP authorities say or do, they will not be able to change the general trend of China's reunification, Wang said.

Zhang Wensheng, deputy dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Tsai bragged about her "achievements" while hiding the problems that arose during her term, such as the breakup of nine "diplomatic relations" and the aggravation of the wealth gap and social problems.

Li Zhenguang, deputy director at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, said that Tsai's speech was the shortest of her Double Tenth speeches in the past four years. Although her rhetoric was relatively less irritating, it did not carry the connotation that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to the one and the same China.

The peaceful development and resolution of cross-Straits relations must have a common political foundation, that is, the two sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to the one and same China, without which Tsai's words are only wishful thinking, Li told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"In fact, since Tsai came to power in 2016, secessionist operations frequently occurred, eroding the previous political basis for cross-Straits exchanges and communication, and cross-Straits relations have gradually moved from détente to tension and confrontation," Li said.

Tsai, also mentioned the launching of the prototype of the island's first indigenous submarine, describing it as "a big step forward" in defense self-sufficiency.

When it comes to the intention of Tsai's emphasis on maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, experts say it is due to the approach of the regional leader election, as Taiwan people still have many concerns about the DPP, especially about its candidate Lai Ching-te's secessionist stance, which could trigger a conflict and even crisis.

Coupled with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the shadows brought about by war are also visible to Taiwan people, Zhang said.

The Kuomintang (KMT), the main opposition party on the island, skipped Tsai's speech on Tuesday, with KMT 2024 regional election candidate Hou Yu-ih slamming the DPP for adopting the English name "Taiwan national day" instead of "Double Tenth" day. Hou said the move is intentional, as the DPP aims to "move Taiwan toward secession," Taiwan-based media reported.

Former Taiwan regional leader Ma Ying-jeou also said on Tuesday that the subtle name change is not only nudging Taiwan in a dangerous direction but also misleading the local people.