A Chinese mainland spokesman strongly condemned Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's new security action plans on Thursday, warning they would bring ruin to the island and expose a 'warmongering nature.' Chen Binhua accused Lai of undermining cross-Strait relations and pursuing 'Taiwan independence,' cautioning that such actions would push Taiwan into the 'abyss of war and danger.' Lai's remarks also drew criticism within Taiwan.
On Wednesday, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities unveiled plans at a high-level security meeting to safeguard 'democratic Taiwan' and strengthen 'defense' capabilities by increasing the island's military expenditure. In a press conference after the meeting, Lai announced a NT$1.25 trillion ($40 billion) special 'defense' budget over eight years. He reaffirmed his pledge to raise 'defense' spending to 3.3 percent of GDP next year and to 5 percent by 2030.
Chen Binhua criticized the plans for 'aggressively hyping the "mainland threat" and attempting to seek "independence" by force and by relying on external forces.' He described Lai's action plans as a warmongering scheme that threatens disaster for the island and its people. 'Lai's separatist fallacies are filled with hostility and confrontation, fully demonstrating his obstinate "Taiwan independence" stance,' Chen said, calling the agenda 'radical and reckless' and the provocations 'brazen and unrestrained.'
According to Chen, Lai has now unveiled these action plans along with '13 specific measures,' after previously labeling the mainland as an 'external hostile force' and introducing '17 strategies' in March. He denounced Lai for ignoring mainstream public opinion on the island and for heightening tensions across the Taiwan Strait since taking office by adhering to an 'independence' stance and deliberately fueling 'anti-mainland' sentiment. '"Taiwan independence" means war and is a dead end,' Chen warned. He cautioned that if separatist forces dare to cross the red line of the Taiwan question, 'we will resolutely take action and strike back with full force.'
Lai's remarks also drew criticism within Taiwan. Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, condemned Lai for moving further toward 'independence' on Wednesday. 'Lai's words have not only turned the Taiwan Strait into a powder keg, but also turned Taiwan into an arms factory,' Cheng said. She urged Lai not to become a creator of trouble, noting, 'This is not what the people of Taiwan want, nor what the region or the international community wishes to see.' Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou wrote on Facebook on Thursday that Lai has not considered paths for cross-Strait reconciliation and dialogue. 'He relies only on continuously expanding military purchases and fueling confrontational sentiment, the cost of which will ultimately be borne by all the people of Taiwan,' Ma said.
Chen reiterated Beijing's position that there is only one China in the world, and both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China. 'Reunification is a historical inevitability, and differences in systems are neither an obstacle to reunification, nor an excuse for secession,' he said. He added that peaceful reunification and 'one country, two systems' is the best approach to achieve national reunification. It will fully take into account the realities of Taiwan, extensively draw on views and suggestions from people across the Strait, and fully safeguard the interests and feelings of compatriots in Taiwan.