Beijing: China issued a stern warning on Monday, declaring that any attempts to achieve independence for Taiwan would lead to a “dead end”. This warning came as Taiwan’s new President, Lai Ching-te, was sworn into office.
Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly threatened to use military force if necessary to bring the island under its control. China has labeled Lai as a “dangerous separatist” due to his past statements advocating for Taiwan’s independence, although Lai has moderated his rhetoric in recent years.
When questioned about Lai’s inauguration, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated, “Taiwan independence is a dead end.” He further emphasized, “No matter under what guise or banner, the pursuit of Taiwan independence and secession is doomed to fail.”
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In conjunction with Lai’s inauguration, China imposed sanctions on three U.S. defense companies in response to their arms sales to Taiwan. Additionally, Weibo, a popular Chinese social media platform, blocked hashtags related to the inauguration, preventing them from trending among its hundreds of millions of users in China.
Prior to the inauguration, the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing reiterated its stance, declaring, “Taiwan independence and peace in the strait is like water and fire.”
