China warned on Monday following the inauguration ofTaiwan’s new President, Lai Ching-te, that any attempts towards independence for the island would result in a “dead end.”
“Taiwan independence is a dead end,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to queries after the Taiwanese leader’s swearing-in ceremony earlier in the day.
“No matter under what guise or banner, the pursuit of Taiwan independence and secession is doomed to fail,” the spokesperson reiterated. Regardless of Taiwan’s internal political shifts,” the historical and legal fact that both sides of the Strait belong to one China remains unaltered,” Wang insisted.
With a population of 23 million, Taiwan, which is separated from mainland China by a narrow strait, is viewed by Beijing as part of its territory, one it desires to bring under its control, if necessary by force.
Mr Lai, whom Beijing previously described as a “dangerous separatist” due to his past pro-independence remarks, has recently softened his approach, committing on Monday to maintaining the status quo, a balance that upholds Taiwan’s sovereignty without formally declaring independence.
However, he also urged China to “cease its political and military intimidation.”
The Chinese social network Weibo, equivalent to the X platform, blocked hashtags referring to the inauguration.
Before Mr Lai’s swearing-in, the Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office stated that “Taiwan’s independence and peace in the Strait” were like “water and fire.”
