Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te emphasized that Taiwan must unite to protect its democracy and must not become a part of China. This can be seen as a reiteration of his opposition to the "One China" principle advocated by Beijing.

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Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te delivers a speech during the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) national congress on July 19, voicing his opposition to the "One China" principle. / Courtesy of Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao)

According to Beijing sources well-versed in cross-strait relations on July 19, President Lai referenced China's Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress during his speech at the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) national congress on the same day, warning that Taiwan must not lower its guard even in times of peace. He added, "I look forward to our party comrades standing at the forefront, uniting as one, and jointly confronting the threat that China's red scare poses to Taiwanese society."

He went on to urge, "We must join forces to protect our democratic and free way of life. We can never allow a democratic Taiwan to regress into becoming China's Taiwan."

President Lai then reiterated that Taiwan's constitutional name is the Republic of China and firmly re-emphasized that it is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China.

Furthermore, he stated, "Regardless of ethnicity, or who arrived first or later, anyone who identifies with Taiwan is the master of this country," adding, "The future of Taiwan must be decided jointly by its 23 million people."

Lai also asserted that over the past decade, the DPP government has never backed down in the face of authoritarian expansion, disinformation campaigns, military threats, and diplomatic pressure, claiming, "Taiwan has shown the world that democracy is not a weakness, but a strength."

According to the sources, the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress was adopted at China's National People's Congress (NPC) in early March and took effect this month, aiming to integrate ethnic minorities. However, Taiwan is deeply concerned that this law will highly likely serve as another legal basis for Beijing to prosecute or attempt to arrest Taiwanese citizens it deems separatists. This explains why President Lai and other high-ranking DPP officials have been advising Taiwanese citizens to refrain from visiting China whenever the opportunity arises.

                                                                                                          Hong Soon-do