anyone Tsai’s soft words aren’t fooling
Taiwan “president” Tsai Ing-wen delivered her “National Day” address Tuesday. It’s jaw-dropping that Tsai spared no word in glossing over her awful political performance yet kept silent about Taiwan’s problems and challenges. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration is undoubtedly the world’s No.1 in vaunting its alleged achievements.
Tsai claimed that there are more than 30,000 “social housing units” under construction or planned across Taiwan. This figure is laughable to the Chinese mainland, which completed 36 million units of affordable housing in the last few years and whose population is 60 times that of Taiwan.
Tsai elaborated at length on Taiwan’s “democracy and freedom” and its place in the new international order. Yet these remarks, by implication, are all about how to deal with the mainland. Tsai attempts to use so-called democracy and freedom as a weapon to push for Taiwan independence and expand Taiwan’s “international living space” to highlight the “fact” of Taiwan being an independent sovereign country and realize the sustainability of the Taiwan independence campaign.
Tsai has put great efforts in her use of words. Taiwan is depicted in her speech as the most democratic, free, united and strongest “country” with greatest achievements in the world.
Tsai’s speech again evaded the 1992 Consensus and made no mention of the “1992 historical fact.” Tsai only reiterated her “consistent position” that “our goodwill will not change, our commitments will not change, we will not revert to the old path of confrontation, and we will not bow to pressure.” Tsai even claimed that the DPP administration has “exerted maximum goodwill.” Is it goodwill that Lai Ching-te publicly supports Taiwan independence upon being appointed as the island’s executive head?
Tsai has been challenging the 1992 Consensus and the political status quo of the One China policy, and pushing forward all types of “implicit” and “cultural” Taiwan independence since assuming office.
There’s no doubt that tensions are rising across the Straits. No matter what words Tsai tosses about, what she depicted in her speech is completely false or merely delusional. The DPP is pushing cross-Straits relations toward a “cold peace,” and Taiwan has overindulged in its self-fabricated world.
Tsai should be ashamed of Taiwan’s “diplomacy.” Panama, its only influential “ally,” recently announced the severing of diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The World Health Assembly and the International Civil Aviation Organization both shut out Taiwan. How dare Taiwan label itself a “country” without UN acknowledgement?
The West supported separatist forces in non-Western countries in the past, but the declining economy and politics of the West, as well as rising separatism in Europe, are fundamentally affecting Western countries’ attitudes toward separatism. The West firmly opposes Catalan independence and it can be predicted that Taiwan independence forces will receive decreasing support and sympathy from Western countries.
The central government is capable of deciding the boundary of its Taiwan policy, regulating the DPP administration and preventing Tsai from crossing the redline. China’s Anti-Secession Law is taking effect in Taiwan and Taiwan’s reunification is a historic trend. Tsai’s efforts will end in failure.