President-elect Lai Ching-toku and the Democratic Progressive Party support Taiwan remaining an autonomous island. But the Chinese government has accused them of being dangerous separatists.
by Daniel Binns, news reporter
Sunday 14 January 2024 19:21, UK
China has criticized the British, American and other governments for congratulating the winner of Taiwan’s presidential election.
The Chinese government accused several countries of “interfering in China’s internal affairs” after world leaders sent messages to President-elect Lai Qingde. Following Saturday’s victory.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and considers it a breakaway province, has accused Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of dangerous separatists.
The Democratic Party says it supports the island’s current status of autonomy, but does not publicly call for independence.
The party’s victory was seen as a setback for Beijing, which further escalated tensions on Sunday when it criticized the U.S. secretary of state. antony blinken After sending a message of congratulations to the winner, he was criticized for “sending a serious wrong signal”.
This was announced after Blinken said, “We congratulate Dr. Lai Ching-de on his victory in Taiwan’s presidential election. We also congratulate him on his victory in Taiwan’s presidential election.” Taiwan Thank you to the people who participated in free and fair elections and demonstrated the strength of our democratic system. ”
but ChinaThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “strongly regrets and firmly opposes” the remarks, adding that a “serious representation was made to the US side.”
“We call on the United States to cease official interactions with Taiwan and to stop sending false signals to separatist forces calling for ‘Taiwan independence,'” the spokesperson added.
Tensions further escalated after former US National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg visited Taipei on Sunday.
Both men are scheduled to hold a series of meetings with political leaders, which are said to be held in their “personal capacities.”
The United States does not formally recognize Taiwan as an independent state and supports the status quo, but President Joe Biden has vowed to protect the island from possible attack by China.
This comes after the Chinese government also condemned China’s “wrong actions”. Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron He also congratulated Lai and said the election was “a testament to Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.”
“We urge the UK to recognize Taiwan’s status as a part of China and carefully handle Taiwan-related issues in accordance with the one-China principle,” the Chinese embassy said in a statement on Saturday. [and] Please stop making statements that interfere in China’s internal affairs. ”
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The Chinese government also criticized similar messages from the Japanese government and also condemned France. Paris officials did not name Lai or his party, although they instead congratulated “all voters and candidates.”
On the eve of the election, Chinese diplomats also warned Western countries of the unspecified dangers of supporting “Taiwan independence forces.”
“For us, democracy is everything.”
Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Chen published an article in The Australian newspaper on Friday saying, “If Australia is tied to the tanks of Taiwanese separatist forces, the Australian people will be plunged into the abyss.”
Lai’s victory means that the Democratic Progressive Party will continue to hold the position of president for three four-year terms, following the eight-year period under President Tsai Ing-wen. He is scheduled to take office in May.