Lai Ching-te comments


comment Lai Ching-te ★ William Lai, Taiwan president ★ the sites rank world No.1 : 2020~25, 2017~19, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010~12 ★ Top since 1998 ★	fights for rights
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comment Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's president (Lai Ching-te takes up the mantle from his DPP predecessor Tsai Ing-wen since May 20, 2024.) (Chinese version)

♦ ♦♦a lame duck - a landslide defeat for recall ♦ ♦♦ fear build up defense ♦ ♦♦ a parasite ♦ ♦♦ Lai's personality ♦ ♦♦ China 'merge with' Taiwan♦ ♦♦softer tone♦ ♦♦tougher stance ♦ ♦♦ military reform ? ♦ ♦♦losing diplomatic war♦ ♦♦ losing spy war

pic: No.1 "comment Lai Ching-te" on Yandex, 2025-8-3, 2025-7-13, 2025-6-22, 2025-6-5, 2025-5-26, 5-18; No.1 "comment William Lai" on Yandex Russia, 2025-8-3, 2025-7-13, 2025-6-22, 2025-6-5, 2025-5-26, 5-19

pic: No.1 "comment Lai Ching-te" on Microsoft Bing, 2025-8-3; No.1 "comment Lai Ching-te" on Yahoo, 2025-8-3

Lai Ching-te, a lame duck president ◆ N.Y. Times, 2025-7-26: Taiwan Recall Campaign Fizzles, in a Setback to Its President ◆ CNN, 2025-7-24: The result of the recall will determine whether Lai becomes a lame duck president that can't get much done. ◆ Bloomberg, 2025-7-28: a landslide defeat for a recall movement that's been accusing the KMT of collaborating with China
◆◆New York Times, 2025-7-26	Lev Nachman, a political scientist at NTU in Taipei said: “I also think that there is going to be some need for self-reflection about how Lai Ching-te presents himself and the party DPP. He is not winning over moderate voters..."
◆◆CNN, 2025-7-27	KMT chairman: “All Taiwanese people chose stability, chose that the government should focus on getting things done, rather than engaging in bitter political fighting". the KMT has accused the ruling party of resorting to political retaliation after it lost the legislative majority, saying the recalls were undermining and challenging Taiwan's democratic system. At the moment, there is very little Lai can do other than try to think of other creative ways to appeal to the public,” Lev Nachman told The Associated Press.
◆◆Reuters, 2025-7-26	KMT Chairman called for Lai to apologise and reflect on his own governance.
◆◆The Guardian, 2025-7-23	In June Lai Ching-te drew criticism of his own after he appeared to refer to opposition forces as “impurities” that needed to be “driven out”, in one speech.
◆◆BBC, 2025-7-25	The opponents characterise William Lai as a fascist and authoritarian traitor of Taiwan's democracy. Large screens played videos of Lai doctored to make him look like Adolf Hitler with the words "Fuhrer Lai", as well as the slogan "Green Terror" – a reference to the DPP's party colour and the White Terror, a period of authoritarian rule and political repression under the Kuomintang
◆◆The Guardian, 2025-7-26	a senior analyst for the International Crisis Group said the recall campaign had deepened divisions in Taiwan; it also raised questions about the DPP using the threat posed by China in election campaigning. “China may view it as a sign that more Taiwanese people are not in favour of the 'China threat' rhetoric promoted by Lai , and this may make them feel like peaceful unification remains a viable option for them to resolve the ultimate ‘Taiwan question’”
◆◆Bloomberg, 2025-7-28	the campaign's central theme – protecting Taiwan from China and communism – failed to resonate with most voters, who he said are more concerned about livelihood and economic issues... voter fatigue with the DPP after nearly a decade in power.
◆◆Forbes, 2025-7-27	Taiwanese people's desire to maintain a thriving democracy and a semblance of checks and balances, so as to maintain democracy which is not ruled by one voice.
◆◆Bloomberg, 2025-7-26	“We all know that no one should overturn the table and demand a new election just because they lost,” KMT Chairman said “You can't lose an election and then launch a massive recall. You can't seek one-party dominance at the cost of undermining democracy.” “The DPP must recognize that it cannot rely on anti-China messaging in every election, as voters may be more concerned with economic and livelihood issues,” said a professor at Taichung
◆◆Council on Foreign Relations, 2025-7-28	The failure of the “Great Recall” campaign raises an important unknown in U.S.-Taiwan relations and may lower the temperature of cross-Strait relations. the electorate wants a more moderate approach to cross-Strait relations and prompt him to adjust his policies, for instance by facilitating greater cross-Strait people-to-people and scholarly exchanges. Chinese observers may assess that Taiwanese voters favor a divided government as the best way to preserve the status quo. Beijing's coercion of Taiwan and its attempts to undermine and isolate Lai will likely intensify, but it may also conclude that it can be patient and wait him out.
◆ WSWS.org, 2025-7-28	The recall reflects sharp infighting in Taiwanese ruling circles fuelled by the intensifying US-led drive to war against China, the US that is accelerating preparations for war with China by seeking to goad Beijing into attacking Taiwan. US is driven above all by the fear that China's economic growth is undermining America's global dominance. Lai Ching-te has edged toward a declaration of formal independence
◆◆XinHua, Global Times, 2025-7-28	The DPP has resorted to every means to suppress political dissent, create "green terror" and deepen social division, fully revealing its hypocritical nature of "fake democracy, real authoritarianism,
◆◆Bloomberg, 2025-5-20	Lai's moves have sparked concern among rights groups and academics, Taiwan risks chipping away at its own civil liberties... Lai's tougher stance may give Beijing more pretext to ramp up pressure on Taiwan. Nearly half of respondents think Taiwan is heading in the wrong direction, and Lai's approval rating has slipped to 32% — his lowest since taking office a year ago. Lai's policy may result in a tightening of free speech under the guise of national security ... it causes a kind of chilling effect — not only in the political sphere — but even within academia, intellectual circles, and the cultural sector,” — a form of self censorship. msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwan-s-lai-toughens-china-stance-stoking-debate-on-democracy/ar-AA1F3Xlz?ocid=BingNewsVerp
◆◆AFP News, Eurasian Times, 2025- 5-19	the current dysfunction is distracting lawmakers and eroding public confidence, which benefits Beijing. Ryan Hass at Brookings: a divided, fractured Taiwan is incapable of addressing its own long-term requirements and vulnerabilities. Bonnie Glaser: The parties “spend a lot of their time thinking about how to weaken support and damage the reputation and the image of their political adversaries”. Lai's disapproval rating rose to the highest since he took office — the polling group linked to the Lai government's handling of US tariffs on Taiwan and the DPP's unprecedented recall campaign targeting the opposition. eurasiantimes.com/its-advantage-china-as-taiwans-president-who-vowed-to-stand-up-to-beijing-faces-political-turmoil-at-home/
◆◆Brookings, 2025-5-12	Taiwan's political system is in turmoil. Lai Ching-te's approval ratings have dropped. So, too, has public sentiment on Taiwan's future. Economist: about 30% say Taiwan will end up ‘being unified by mainland China’, 8% more than in 2020.

Lai Ching-te fears building up defenses would trigger a PLA invasion.

♣ National Interest (2025-5-29): Taiwan is completely unserious about its national defense.
♣ Asia Times (2025-5-21): Taiwan is careful not to build up defenses that could actually deter the PLA… for fear that getting close to such a threshold would trigger a PLA invasion.

♣ The Guardian (2025-6-1): A new Taiwanese TV drama, Zero Day, depicts the frightful impact of an invasion on an unprepared nation.

♣ Economist (2024-9-5): Taiwan needs to hold out long enough for friends to come to its aid, but polls suggest the will to resist rests, in turn, on whether Taiwanese think America will defend them. Worryingly... Taiwan can do little to influence American politics

♣ SCMP (2025-6-15): Taiwan war game ( lost control of key outlying territories) triggers US questions over Taiwan's ‘will to fight’ if PLA attacks

♣ NY Times (2025-5-22): critics say that Taiwan's efforts to upgrade military preparations are too superficial and lag China's.

♣ Taiwan is reluctant to mobilisation to avoid losing the elections.

◆ Lowy Institute (2025-5-26): Taiwan's defence spending has increased but still falls short of the urgency implied by official rhetoric. Civic mobilisation is growing, but slowly.

◆ National Interest (2025-6-6): Not tanks, F-16s, and warships—but rather lots of people and a seemingly endless cache of small arms dispersed throughout the country. Unfortunately, Taiwan's leaders have not adopted this approach—and they're running out of time to change direction.

Lai Ching-te claimed that if the mainland wants to "merge with" Taiwan, it should be the one proposing terms, not Taiwan.
◆◆China's official media, XinHua, China Daily, CGTN, 2025-5-28	In response to Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's recent comparison of reunification across the Taiwan Strait to a "corporate merger," in which he referred to the mainland as a "larger company" and Taiwan as a "smaller company.", China's the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office: "We are willing to have extensive exchanges of views and in-depth consultations with all political parties, groups and people from various sectors in Taiwan on cross-Strait relations and national reunification" .
◆◆Asia Times , 2025-5-21	Lai compares the PRC's “One China” framework to a large company insisting on acquisition before engaging with a smaller company. Political opponents jumped on the statement, accusing Lai of implying that Taiwan's status was up for negotiation.
◆◆reddit.com (The US)	Comments: Lai will always be acting in his, and his party's own best interests, which is to retain power and accrue wealth.

Lai Ching-te tried to please the US, and took softer tone toward China
◆◆Wall Street Journal, 2025-5-23	Lai Ching-te delivered an anniversary speech that was most notable for its softer tone toward Beijing. Beijing: “This two-faced approach is nothing new, a waste of effort, and doomed to fail”
◆◆SCMP, 2025-5-21	Lai's efforts to strengthen Taiwan's military readiness and ramp up defence spending to please Washington have met a lukewarm response from the White House. An expert said Lai's anniversary speech like this almost certainly involved behind-the-scenes intervention by the US; "It's likely the situation is too serious to even mention cross-strait issues" msn.com/en-xl/news/other/taiwan-s-william-lai-enters-second-year-in-office-with-troubles-mounting-on-all-sides/ar-AA1F9L4U?ocid=BingNewsVerp
◆◆Global Times, 2025-5-20	China comments on Taiwan leader's speeches involving cross-Straits relations as duplicity doomed to failure. Lai authorities forced the people on the island to accept the gangland storyline of "paying protection money (to the US)." and have made limitless compromises and concessions to hegemonic bullying on issues such as tariffs, even going so far as to offer up the "guardian mountain" (護國神山) TSMC to the US.

Lai Ching-te has taken tougher stance on China
◆◆Foreign Affairs, 2025-5-15	President Lai Ching-te's political position is weak compared with that of his predecessor, Tsai. ... this weakness may make Lai bolder, as he might want to ramp up confrontation with China to try to win public support.
◆◆Foreign Policy, 2025-5-1	Lai Ching-te gave several speeches that went significantly further than his predecessors in positioning Taiwan as a sovereign state that is separate from China. The Trump administration should rein in Lai before he mistakes Washington's passivity for approval and entangles the United States in a potentially calamitous war. Polls show that scarcely more than one-third of Americans would favor going to war for Taiwan. Taiwan must not assume the US will fight World War III on its behalf.
◆◆New York Times, 2025-3-23	Taiwan President's Gambit: Time for a Tougher Stance on China. President Lai may be betting that China's appetite for retaliation will be limited by Beijing's interest in containing tensions with the Trump administration. Part of Lai's calculus is that if the opposition played games with his proposed defense spending increase, that would get Washington's attention in a way they really don't want. Nationalist politicians accused Lai of unfairly casting his domestic critics as “red” tools of Beijing, and argue that reinstating military courts is backsliding.
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-21	For decades, Taiwanese leaders have performed a delicate dance of defending Taiwan’s sovereignty while not provoking Beijing. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is changing that. “We are moving toward conflict escalation with China, that's for sure,” said a professor at National Chengchi University.

Taiwan president Lai Ching-te has not taken defense reform more seriously when China-Taiwan relations are getting so tense (TIME, 2025-4-26) and when Elbridge Colby says Taiwan is not an “existential” matter for America and suggests the island cannot be defended at acceptable cost (Economist, 2025-5-1).
◆◆The Diplomat, 2025-4-29	Taiwan (Lai Ching-te) was not taking defense reform more seriously, and responding to calls for a dramatic increase in defense spending with a less than credible “counteroffer” to make incremental increases. PS: War on the Rocks, 2025-4-16: Taiwan's military remains a profoundly unserious organization. It is not ready to wage war.
◆ New York Times, 2025-2-25	Mr. Trump said Taiwan was spending far too little on its military and was too complacent about the United States coming to its rescue in a war
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-2-14	Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledged to boost military spending to 3% of GDP; Trump suggested the archipelago should devote 10% of GDP to its armed forces.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te provokes Beijing, but is reluctant to reform the reservists and conscripts system Has Lai realized Taiwan can no longer bank on U.S. support ?
◆◆PBS, 2025-4-7	On paper, Taiwan's reserves appear large. But these men say military training is insufficient, many young people today are reluctant to join the armed forces. There's also a general lack of awareness among civilians about the importance of national defense. Taiwan's financial systems, energy and communications are vulnerable to Chinese blockade and cyberattack, and critics worry Taiwan isn't doing enough to prepare for social and economic disruption.
◆◆Foreign Policy, 2025-5-1	Lai Ching-te gave several speeches that went significantly further than his predecessors in positioning Taiwan as a sovereign state that is separate from China. The Trump administration should rein in Lai before he mistakes Washington's passivity for approval and entangles the United States in a potentially calamitous war
◆◆TIME, 2025-4-26	Why China-Taiwan relations are getting so tense? Lai Ching-te's DPP lacks a parliamentary majority, and he can't be sure the Trump Administration has his back. Whatever his political intent, Lai has become more strident on cross-Taiwan Strait questions in recent weeks.
◆◆New York Times, 2025-4-1	The problem with president Mr. Lai Ching-te's approach is that Taiwan can no longer bank on U.S. support. This isn't something that we are just now realizing
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-21	For decades, Taiwanese leaders have performed a delicate dance of not provoking Beijing. President Lai Ching-te is changing that. “We are moving toward conflict escalation with China, that's for sure,” said a professor at National Chengchi University.
◆◆Associated Press, 2025-3-18	Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te said that Taiwan law designates mainland China as a “foreign hostile force”
◆ Brookings, 2025-3-13	In surveys (2021, 2022), Taiwanese people were asked how likely they are to be willing to fight against an invasion by China on a one-to-five scale. After observing the invasion, more respondents gravitated to extreme options. A research in 2022 indicated that the more Taiwanese citizens believe the United States will assist Taiwan, the higher their willingness to engage in self-defense becomes. Additionally, a 2024 study by Ronan Tse-min Fu and colleagues found that when Taiwanese individuals perceive that Taiwan and U.S. interests align, they are more likely to trust that the United States will provide assistance, thereby strengthening their resolve for self-defense.
◆ Fox News, 2025-3-2	most Taiwanese aren't willing to make the sacrifices required for victory in war. Migrant workers serving as essentially mercenaries would only highlight how few of our citizens are willing to fight . Taiwanese expert says: I understand the logic behind the U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, but I fear far too many Taiwanese people – especially younger people – are counting on a rescue from Uncle Sam,"

parasite

♣ Council on Foreign Relations (2025-5-20): Chinese state-run media responded to William Lai's speech labeling China as "foreign hostile force" by publishing a cartoon depicting Lai as a green parasite, while Taiwan was depicted on fire, surrounded by Chinese military platforms.
♣ PBS (2025-4-3):The U.S. says China's exercises are practice for a blockade of Taiwan. Part of those exercises, this cartoon. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is a parasite who will be barbecued as Chinese weapons strangle Taiwan.
♣ CNN (2025-4-1): China's PLA released a series of propaganda videos after announcing the latest drills, including one that depicts Lai Ching-te as a green cartoon bug and calls him a “parasite” hollowing out the island.
♣ European Council on Foreign Relations (2025-6-6): In the "Strait Thunder 2025-A" drill, the Chinese armed forces, known as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), released a series of posters and animated videos. One video depicted Lai as a parasite squeezed between a pair of chopsticks above a burning Taiwan. It accused the Taiwanese government of colluding with foreign forces—an unusually explicit targeting of the country’s political leadership.
♣ The Telegraph (2025-4-1): PLA showed Mr Lai as a green insect who appears to give birth to other insects, before being held by chopsticks above a burning Taiwan. “Parasite poisoning Taiwan island. Parasite hollowing island out. Parasite courting ultimate destruction.”Taiwan Defense Minister said: "such rhetoric was not conducive to peace and “shows their provocative character”.

Lai Ching-te's personality & style
Taiwan media : a fighting cock, authoritarian, "Lie Cheater" ♦ ♦ Western media : reckless, combative, brutal ... ...

during Lai's president tenure
◆ Foreign Affairs (2025-8-1): Numerous KMT politicians, meanwhile, have accused Lai of brutal, authoritarian behavior. KMT leader Eric Chu compared Lai to Adolf Hitler. The island's third-biggest party, Taiwan People's Party, also deeply detests the DPP government. The TPP's leader is facing corruption charges, and the party claims it is being politically persecuted.

◆ New York Times (2024-1-13): professor commented that Lai Ching-te is an impulsive and politically biased figure, so we cannot rule out the possibility that unpredictable and unknown developments may occur during his tenure”

◆ Washington Post (2025-1-17): With Ko's indictment, the KMT and TPP are accusing Lai Ching-te of abusing his powers to politically influence the judiciary. Ko's supporters say are politically motivated. “It's political persecution", "an end to “DPP tyranny”. In last year's presidential election, Ko with his party's strong performance key to why Lai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its legislative majority.

◆ New York Times (2024-12-26): Ko has denied the charges and said that he was the victim of a political vendetta mounted by Mr. Lai's government... supporters gathered in protests, arguing that the allegations were flimsy and politically motivated, and that seemingly corrupt politicians from Mr. Lai's DPParty had been spared investigations. “What's important to keep in mind is that the sort of political force that he awakened in Taiwan is not going to go away,” said Lev Nachman, a political scientist at NCCU.

◆ War On The Rocks (2024-9-20): The arrest and detention of Taiwan People's Party chairman and former Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je on corruption charges... have Lai's critics protesting that he is using the judiciary to persecute rivals. Washington observers might worry that Lai is undermining the independence of the judicial system...

◆ Financial Times (UK), 2024-9-6: Prosecutors' swift moves against Cheng (former premier 鄭文燦) and Ko Wen-je (Chairman of TPP) have prompted Taiwanese commentators to question whether Lai was “cleaning house” of political rivals or pushing an anti-corruption crackdown to win back public support
◆ New York Times, 2025-7-26: Lev Nachman says there is going to be some need for self-reflection about how Lai Ching-te presents himself and the party. But, United Daily (聯合報, 2025-8-2): Lai's personality is Stubborn and "No reflection" (性格硬拗、不知反省); He believes power, instead of professional or ability; Lai is not pragmatic and so arrogant as to "beyond the system" (不務實，已到了近乎虛妄的地步。獨步全球的「清德式傲慢」，自視「超乎體制」udn.com/news/story/7338/8912692?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate).
◆ United Daily (聯合報, 2025-5-7), China Times (2024-10-24): Lai Ching-te is a "fighting cock" president (「直球對決」鬥雞性格鮮明). UDN (2025-2-23): Lai specializes in bullying ordinary people and disadvantage groups (專砍人民和弱勢). United Daily (聯合報, 2025-2-10, 2025-1-24): Lai's political personality is headstrong (剛愎); his personality is haughty and arrogant (傲慢恐不輸尹錫悅).
◆ Global Times (2025-8-2) : Many major US trading partners - such as the EU and Japan - also confronted Washington to varying degrees in defense of their own interests. In comparison, the Lai authorities have shown a swift and complete capitulation that is astonishing. A poll on July 31 shows that both public satisfaction with Lai authorities and personal trust in him have hit new lows. Some analysts in Taiwan believe that the core issue lies in his "incompetent governance".

◆ Dominotheory (2025-1-6) : The difference Kolas Yotaka sees between Lai and all presidents since 1996 is that Lai is more direct and she thinks he is more obvious with the public.
◆ according to CNBC (2024-5-24), Chinese vessels entered Taiwan's 'forbidden water' ( Taiwan was inactive - although earlier Taiwan declared it will shoot).
◆ according to The Liberty Times (2025-3-11, 自由時報) , president Lai stressed that the government will accelerate the opening of political archives about persecutions. But to say is one thing, to do is another, till present.

Before Lai's presidency tenure

◆ The Guardian (2024-5-18): They describe the 64-year-old as driven, compassionate and principled, but also stubborn and hot-tempered.

◆ Washington Post (2024/01/13): Early on, Lai was idealistic and quite serious about his work; Close associates from his Tainan days describe him as solemn and focused on the minutia of policies. He almost always wore a suit and would call out colleagues for underdressing. The only time he really seemed to relax was when talking about his — and arguably Taiwan's — favorite sport: Baseball. Despite being softly spoken, he didn't shy away from fights as a young lawmaker.

◆ NY Times (2024-1-14): A former doctor with a humble background, Mr. Lai is seen as more attuned to the mood of Taiwan's people than to the perilous nuances of dealing with Beijing.

◆ Bloomberg (2023-8-14): He's soft-spoken and mild-mannered; setting aside his handsome, youthful face, he's about as charming as, well, a former kidney doctor. Lai's election ... could start a war that, as an opposition politician puts it, “opens the doors to hell.” in Taiwan's turbulent politics, Lai comes across as less of a firebrand than measured and calculating.

◆ Bloomberg (2023-8-14): China said that “Lai's comments on so-called maintaining the peaceful status quo are totally a lie,” the statement says. “Such a person will only bring risks of fierce war.” The opposition's narrative about Lai—that he represents an uncertainty that “opens the doors to hell,”

◆ SCMP ( Jan 19, 2024) — William Lai is known to be headstrong and pro-independence.

◆ New York Times (2024-1-13): Chinese officials painted Mr. Lai as a villain, calling him a stubborn “Taiwan independence worker,” a “destroyer of cross-strait peace” and potentially the “creator of a dangerous war.”

◆ Global Times (2023-8-23): Nicknamed "political chameleon," Lai is opportunistic. When you check his political maneuvers in the past, it is so clear that he always puts personal gains above the interests of his party and the local people.
◆ China Times (中時, 2024-4-7): Lai Ching-te wants to restrict freedom of speech, even shapes anti-government speech into cognitive warfare - any message or speech that favors the opponents instead of the government, you will be defamed (or 'poisoning the well') as a supporter or collaborator of China. (任何訊息、言論只要對政府不利，對敵對者有利，就會被視為是認知作戰的「在地協力者」，遭到抹紅、抹黑)

◆ Global Times (2023-8-14): Lai's nickname in Taiwan is 'Lie Cheater' which sounds similar to his full name 'Lai Ching-te.'

◆ Global Times (2024-10-29) : former legislator Cheng Li-wen criticized to the media while noting that it is clearly Lai carrying out orders from the US, turning the island of Taiwan into cannon fodder for war.
2025-8-3

Lai Ching-te is losing a diplomatic war with China
◆ US News, Bloomberg, etc, 2025-4-23	Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te will not attend the funeral of Pope Francis, despite making requests to the Vatican, a move that breaks with precedent and removes a rare opportunity to mix with other world leaders. Taiwan's then President Ma Ying-jeou led a delegation to the Vatican for Pope Francis' inauguration in 2013, while his predecessor Chen Shui-bian attended Pope John Paul II's funeral in 2005. Pope Francis had in recent years worked to improve ties with Beijing that were formally severed in 1951. In October, the Vatican and China extended an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four years, pointing to a new level of trust between the two parties. usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-04-23/taiwan-pushing-for-president-to-attend-pope-francis-funeral-senior-official-says;msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwan-president-to-skip-pope-s-funeral-after-talks-with-vatican/ar-AA1DroE2?ocid=BingNewsVerp
◆ Lowy Institute (Australia) , 2025-1-29	nearly three-quarters of countries (74% or 142 in total) now support Beijing's position that Taiwan is part of China.。A growing number of countries support PRC efforts to “achieve national reunification” without any caveat that Beijing's objectives should be pursued peacefully. The widespread adoption of Beijing's stance might constrain US-led deterrence efforts and could provide the PRC with extra licence to escalate military aggression lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-much-world-really-backs-beijing-s-claim-taiwan

Taiwan has already lost its China spy war. Taiwan's defense and security structures are so deeply penetrated by Chinese spies
◆◆Washington Examiner, 2025-3-25	Taiwan has already lost its China spy war. Taiwan's defense and security structures are so deeply penetrated by Chinese spies that Beijing knows everything about its plans to deter aggression by the People's Liberation Army, including American defense and intelligence secrets. At this point, any secrets Washington shares with our Taiwanese partners stand a high chance of winding up in Chinese Communist hands.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/3357074/taiwan-has-already-lost-its-china-spy-war
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-28	Taiwanese soldiers guarding president Lai Ching-te's office were spying for China. This shows how severe China's infiltration is in Taiwan; Taiwan's sentencing on espionage activities has been too lenient. It is now even more uncertain whether Washington would come to Taiwan's aid. Taipei's latest crackdown on espionage helps show Washington that Taiwan is serious about plugging leaks
◆◆New York Times, 2025-4-1	Chinese land, navy, air and missile forces would “approach close” to Taiwan and practice “seizure of overall control, etc. The exercises appeared intended to intimidate Taiwan, without tipping over into a wider confrontation or crisis. They likely want to persuade the Trump administration that Lai Ching-te is a troublemaker and to deter the U.S. from maintaining high levels of support to Taiwan.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/world/asia/china-taiwan-military-drills.html
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-4-1	China targets Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te with military drills and personal attacks. Taiwanese expert: "we should call it a pre-invasion operation.” By specifically targeting Taiwan and blaming Lai, China is engaging in “cognitive warfare” that is gradually making Taiwanese numb to the real threats they face. The gradual ratcheting up of activity in frequency and complexity raises the possibility that “drills could escalate into actual conflict”.
◆◆Reuters, 2021-12-20	The repeated cases of the most senior level of Taiwan armed forces officers being convicted of espionage...Beijing has even penetrated the security detail assigned to protect Taiwan's President. Well-placed spies in the ranks of the Taiwan military could offer a priceless advantage to China if the two sides plunge into open conflict, according to Taiwanese and U.S. military analysts.

Taiwan president Lai's Tougher Stance on China
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-31	Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has also adopted a harder line toward China and moved to crack down more on Chinese espionage in what analysts say is an effort to appeal to China hawks in the Trump administration.
◆◆New York Times, 2025-3-23	Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's Gambit: He laid out 17 steps, including restoring military courts to try Taiwanese military personnel accused of espionage and other security crimes. He wants to more closely monitor Taiwanese people's contacts with China ... Nationalist politicians argue that reinstating military courts is backsliding. “Many of these 17 steps restrict people's civil rights”, "unfairly casting his domestic critics as 'red' tools of Beijing". Brookings Ryan Hass said Lai appeared partly intended to sharpen the contrast with the opposition, "...it was intended to reassert control of the narrative, to put people who are opposing his agenda on the back foot”. nytimes.com/2025/03/23/world/asia/taiwan-china-trump.html

pic: No.1 "comment Lai Ching-te" on Yandex, 2025-7-12, 2025-5-25, 5-20, 5-18; No.1 "comment William Lai Ching-te" on Yandex Russia, 2025-5-25, 5-20, 5-19;
No.1 "comment William Lai " on Yandex , 2025-7-12, 2025-5-25, 5-20, 5-19

Lai Ching-te vs. Taiwanese Free Speech
◆ USA Today (2025-4-4): when Trump announced tariffs, The White House listed Taiwan as a country, which it's not. Taiwanese officials on Thursday didn't appear to know what to make of Taiwan being designated a country.
◆ United Daily 聯合報 (2025-4-8): President Lai Ching-te says unification (reunification with mainland China) is not a freedom of speech (賴清德說消滅中華民國非言論自由)。	◆ Reuters (2025-4-8): President Lai Ching-te says "only Taiwan's people can decide their future".
◆ United Daily 聯合報 (2025-5-3): poisoning the well ! It can be said that the various actions carried out by the government in the name of national security are not just "green terror", but a common concern in Taiwan's society. The chilling effect is developing, now it is a common phenomenon for Taiwanese people to worry about being labelled "China's man" or supporter of China可以說，民進黨政府以國安為名進行的各式行動，並非只是「綠色恐怖」，而已是社會普遍存在的憂慮。寒蟬效應發酵，民眾擔心遭「扣紅帽」是普遍現象 udn.com/news/story/11091/8715116?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub11091_pulldownmenu_v2
◆ 中時 China Times (2025-3-28): The situation in Taiwan today is actually similar to yesterday's Nazi. The ruling party DPP has labeled the opposition and dissidents as "co-operators or collaborators" (同路人) of the Chinese Communist Party, and has used the state machine to carry out a fierce (凶狠) crackdown, creating a fanatical "anti-China, protect Taiwan" public-opinion atmosphere in an attempt to intimidate those not to question or criticize the ruler. A silent society without dissents hence will be created. (Chinese: 當年納粹整肅異己，整個社會在事不關己的袖手旁觀下，最終集體落入獨裁者的鐵掌。台灣今天的局勢，其實異曲同工。民進黨把在野黨和異議者都扣上中共同路人的紅帽子，動用國家機器進行凶狠的整肅，塑造狂熱的「抗中保台」輿論氛圍，意圖恫嚇不得質疑批判。一個寒蟬靜默的一言堂社會就此完成。) brief chinatimes.com/opinion/20250328003972-262101?chdtv
◆ 中時 China Times (2025-3-27): Recently 75 Taiwanese scholars issued a statement ─ warning that "thoughts censorship has come to Taiwan" and "the space for freedom of speech is rapidly being compressed." (中研院院士等75位學者發表聲明,最令人觸目驚心的是警示「思想審查已經降臨台灣」、「言論自由的空間快速遭到壓縮」。近日指稱3位陸配主張武統,但法院等並未舉出哪一句話，只是依據「前後脈絡」及「社會通念」判定有如是主張,於是驅逐出境我們擔心這種推斷方式可能擴大，適用在一般民眾身上chinatimes.com/opinion/20250327004086-262101?chdtv
◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-9-3: Ko Wen-je (Founder and Chair of TPP, the third largest political party,)──accuses the government of attempting to “suppress” its opponents and the press and judiciary of “being the government’s political tools.”

Lai Ching-te has been inactive on persecutions

◆ The Liberty Times (2025-3-11, 自由時報) says president Lai stressed that the government will accelerate the declassifying of political archives about persecutions, investigate the truth, and avoid the state machine from hurting people again...

◆ The ruling party (DPP) 's official website wrote not long ago that persecutions by the power occur any time and anywhere (see pic. below).

◆ It's within reason to doubt if Lai really cares human rights issues, because, during the long period of his tenure as president (2024~) and vice president (2020~2024), president Lai Ching-te has not done anything major on persecution cases occurred in the past around 40 years till present, which might lead to more victims suffering more. Lai probably cares more about 228 incident in 1947, or similar ones - which would be helpful for DPP's future election, however those prime suspects were dead already.

◆ Brookings, 2025-2-25: Lai has placed a major bet on embedding Taiwan within a global network of democracies as a bulwark against rising China's pressure... But the island has to play a balancing act. For the security of its people, the government cannot be too adventurous.◆ Brookings, 2025-2-12: One point of consensus across party lines in Taiwan is that now would be an inopportune time for Lai to push boundaries or poke Beijing on cross-Strait issues. The opposition KMT accuses Lai of pursuing an imperial presidency; Lai is unwilling to engage in the normal give-and-take of democratic politics in a divided government. Instead, , Lai is trying to consolidate political control in his own hands and doing so in ways that betray stubbornness, arrogance, and inflexibility. brookings.edu/articles/taiwan-president-lais-three-big-challenges-in-2025/

◆ Reuters, 2025-2-3: Taiwan and China need to talk to each other to achieve peace given the "multifold changes" in the international situation, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said ◆ East Asia Forum, 2025-2-6: Lai Ching-te's administration faces mounting pressure amid Beijing’s military intimidation and a shifting US stance under the Trump presidency. Taiwan's political future hinges on carefully navigating domestic discord, cross-strait relations and international power plays. ◆ CNN, 2025-1-25: “If there is not enough budget to consistently improve Taiwan's defense reforms and capabilities, the international community will doubt Taiwan's determination to defend ourselves,” Lai Ching-te said ◆ Bloomberg, 2025-1-23: Taiwan's ruling party is asking the highest court to pause and potentially throw out legislation that may limit the judiciary's ability to function, a move that could give President Lai Ching-te a big win in his battles with the opposition over issues including the budget and defense spending to deter China.◆ Reuters, 2025-1-17: Taiwan's top China official says Beijing must stop shunning Lai; Taiwan's government "will not tolerate" Beijing's active engagement solely with opposition politicians while it refuses dialogue with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's democratically elected administration, the Nikkei newspaper reported ◆ The Hill, 2025-1-16 : Former Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Taiwan; Pence wrote an op-ed in August for The Washington Post in which he warned a “new and troubling strain of isolationism is emerging within the Republican Party that advocates turning our backs on Taiwan and other allies.”

pic.: "comment Lai Ching-te" (Chinese version) ranks No.1 on Yandex of Russia , 2025-6-1, 5-18, 2025-4-22, 2025-2-14, 2025-1-1, 2024-11-1, 2024-1-26, 2023-12-25, 2023-9-1, 2023-7-24

pic.: "comment Lai Ching-te" (Chinese version) ranks No.1 on Microsoft Bing, 2025-7-12, 2025-6-1. 5-18, 2025-4-26, 2024-12-31, 2024-10-1, 2024-8-8, 2023-8-8

former presidential candidate Ko and his supports accused a political vendetta
◆ Washington Post, 2025-1-17	With Ko's indictment, the KMT and TPP are accusing Lai of abusing his powers to politically influence the judiciary. Opposition supporters have been holding large-scale demonstrations in recent weeks. Ko denies the charges, which his supporters say are politically motivated. “It's political persecution", "an end to “DPP tyranny”. In last year's presidential election, Ko with his party's strong performance key to why Lai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its legislative majority. msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwan-may-cut-its-defense-budget-just-as-trump-returns/ar-AA1xmU6y?ocid=BingNewsVerp
◆ New York Times, 2024-12-26	Ko has denied the charges and said that he was the victim of a political vendetta mounted by Mr. Lai's government...thousands of supporters gathered in protests, arguing that the allegations were flimsy and politically motivated, and that seemingly corrupt politicians from Mr. Lai's DPParty had been spared investigations. “What's important to keep in mind is that the sort of political force that he awakened in Taiwan is not going to go away,” said Lev Nachman, a political scientist at NCCU. nytimes.com/2024/12/26/world/asia/taiwan-presidential-candidate-indicted.html
◆ Bloomberg, 2024-12-26	The Taiwan People's Party (founded by Ko) denounced the indictment in a press briefing : “Today, Taiwan is experiencing judicial injustice, with politics and state machinery being used to persecute political opponents,” The indictment “lacks financial evidence and concrete proof, relying solely on pieced-together claims to destroy political adversaries.”
◆ BBC, 2024-12-26	A dark horse in presidential election, Ko won votes not far behind ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te's 40%; His sizable showing pointed to voters' demand for a more pluralistic political landscape beyond the two main parties. Ko was expected to seek the presidency again in 2028. His allies and supporters accused the DPP of using the charges to suppress its opponents.
◆ Asia Nikkei (Japan), 2024-9-5	Taiwan's Ko Wen-je accuses government of witch hunt ... and launched broadsides against the legal system and the press, accusing them of doing the bidding of President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party..."the judiciary and the media being the government's political tools" ( the KMT's most powerful lawmaker, that most legal professionals only listen to the DPP)

Taiwanese media comment on Lai Ching-te

◆ United Daily (聯合報), 2025-4-15: Lai Ching-te government has almost stopped hiding their intentions and actions towards Taiwanese independence. 賴清德政府幾乎已經不再掩飾台獨的意圖與行動！

◆ United Daily (聯合報), 2025-4-10: Trump has taken away "the whole bowl" of Taiwan's Silicon Shield「矽盾」已被川普整碗端走，賴清德政府找出學術理由，正當化朝北跪拜叩首的姿勢，減低一些突梯滑稽

udn.com/news/story/11091/8665956?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub11091_pulldownmenu_v2

◆ United Daily (聯合報), 2025-4-4: TSMC's moving to the US, the expulsion of Taiwanese wives from mainland China, Lai's 17 measures, etc., are all considered by public-law scholars to be clearly illegal and even unconstitutional.台積電赴美、陸配遭逐、賴十七條等等，公法學者皆認為有明顯違法、乃至於違憲之處

◆ 聯合報, 2025-4-4: Lai ching-te's ruling party over-trusts Trump and places all its eggs on one basket 民進黨過度信賴及押寶美國，以為「價值聯盟」多麼堅實穩固。到頭來，才發現自己押錯寶，還遭到「背刺」。天真把雞蛋都放在同一個籃子裡

udn.com/news/story/7338/8652335?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate

◆ China Times (中時) , 2025-3-15: Lai repeatedly refers to the other side of the strait as "China", ignoring our "one China" Constitution.

陳長文: 賴總統違憲 - 大法官釋字第445號（1998年）與第644號（2008年）指出，「禁止共產主義或分裂國土」集會結社違憲。北高行108年訴字第1948號判決（雖被最高行政法院廢棄）言：「面對統戰，應更民主、更開放。」《兩岸人民關係條例》第2條定義「大陸地區」為「台灣地區以外之中華民國領土」，賴卻屢稱對岸為「中國」，無視憲法「一中」

◆ United Daily (聯合報), 2025-2-23: The judiciary has become a political thug. This has always been an unspeakable secret. 司法變成政治打手，過去一直是不能說的秘密，當民進黨自家人也質疑「司法不公、政治迫害」，戳破賴總統的心機，說明民進黨標榜的司法改革如同一場騙局

◆ United Daily (聯合報), 2025-1-2: The question is, how long can Lai Ching-te brag Taiwan is a democratic country? in fact, it's a "Green Terror" country

賴清德新年談話兩個詞一直在文稿中閃現，民主說了２６次，台灣近５０次。以至於，整篇文告的其他內容都被這兩個詞奪了魂，...決心將民主的牛皮硬吹到底。問題是，已披上綠色恐怖響亮稱號的民主牛皮，還能吹多久？

udn.com/news/story/11091/8464134?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

Taiwan Lawmakers Brawl Over Controversial Bills
◆ Bloomberg, 2024-12-20	A new wave of political wrangling between Taiwan's ruling and opposition parties that has involved street protests and lawmakers tussling adds to questions about President Lai Ching-te's ability to govern one of the world's most dangerous geopolitical hotspots.
◆ Bloomberg, 2024-12-23	Taiwan's government said a legal change to budget rules could derail its 2025 spending plan, underscoring challenges the opposition is posing to the new leader of the democracy at the core of China-US tensions.
◆ Newsweek, AP News, France24 2024-12-20	Several lawmakers were injured during the confrontation. A DPP leader said that the party's actions were extreme but that it had no other options. The dispute centers on three bills pushed by the Nationalist Party (KMT, the opposition).
◆ CBS, 2024-12-20, video	cbsnews.com/chicago/video/taiwan-lawmakers-brawl-over-controversial-legislation/

Taiwan's pres. Lai flies to US, angering China
◆ Financial Times, 2024-12-15	Big Chinese naval exercise to "punish" its president, Lai Ching-te, for a trip abroad (included U.S.) leaves Taiwan and US struggling for response. Taiwan: the manoeuvres involved all three of the PLA's coastal theatre commands for the first time, a demonstration that they can lock down the First Island Chain.
◆ United States Institute of Peace	China's military exercise refrained from formally announcing might be by design: a ploy to maximize psychological pressure on Taiwan, a strategy to avoid provoking a response from the United States, or an indirect way of acknowledging Lai's restraint in foregoing a stopover in the continental United States.
◆ New York Times, 2024-12-10	Taiwan says China has deployed largest fleet of ships in decades.
◆ EuroNews, 2024-12-11	The ships' movements are largely seen as a response to Taiwan's President, Lai Ching-te, visiting Hawaii and Guam last week. China may be holding back from a higher-profile exercise in case Lai decides to visit the US next year.
◆ Global Times (China) , 2024-12-6	Lai Ching-te is compelled to pledge loyalty to the US during his brief "stopover," said Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University.
◆ Deutsche Welle (Germany), 2024-12-3	Lai did not receive a formal government reception...No meetings with high-ranking US officials were reported during his two-day stopover
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-12-2	Trump has publicly called for Taiwan to spend more to defend itself and has accused Taiwan's world-class chip makers of stealing American jobs. In a closed-door speech delivered in English, Lai appeared to address some of those criticisms, outlining plans to bolster the country's self-defense. Lai promised deepening cooperation with the U.S. in the semiconductor industry.
◆ New York Times, 2024-11-30	Taiwan's government tries to fathom what changes President-elect Donald J. Trump will bring to U.S. dealings with Taiwan。In uncertain times, Taiwan needs every edge of international advantage that it can get. Taiwanese leaders have used their brief stops to promote stronger ties with the United States; This time, Mr. Lai will not set foot in the continental United States, reducing opportunities for high-profile meetings.
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-12-1	Taiwan's President begins Hawaii stopover despite China's protests. "Transits" are part of careful arrangements made between Washington and Taipei to allow its leaders to engage with each other on American soil after the two severed formal diplomatic ties in 1979.
◆ CNN, 2024-11-30	Chinese government labeled Lai's visit as "a provocative act", and could respond by staging a fresh round of military drills near the island democracy. China hopes to create an incident during the transition period in the United States to create pressure on the incoming Trump team by drawing a red line.
◆ AFP (France), 2024-11-30	President Lai Ching-te's trip has ignited fiery threats from Beijing. Bonnie Glaser: Lai's tour of the Pacific was an opportunity for him "to show those countries and the world that Taiwan matters". China always wants to leave the impression that Taiwan is isolated and it is dependent on the PRC".
◆ Deutsche Welle (Germany), 2024-11-30	China has slammed the trip as a step toward independence from Beijing, and described Lai's planned stopover in the US territory of Guam as "separatist actions."

◆ Daily Mail (UK) , 2024-11-23: In a war simulation by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)showed devastating costs for all involved. The grim war simulations come at a time of political upheaval, with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te taking a tougher line on China ◆ Brookings, 2024-11-22: To many in Beijing, Taiwan's leaders are testing the boundaries of China's tolerance by incrementally advancing efforts to permanently separate Taiwan from China. American officials generally do not judge that Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has taken steps to undermine peace and stability.◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-11-18: Some in Taiwan say its survival as a self-ruled democracy is at stake, that it can't afford to spend what Trump demands on defense and that it would wither in the crossfire of a U.S.-China trade war. But Lai Ching-te said “I'm confident that the longstanding partnership between Taiwan and the U.S. will keep being a key pillar of stability in the region”.◆ The Hill, 2024-11-22: The People's Liberation Army recently ringed Taiwan with a major military and Coast Guard exercise to demonstrate its sovereignty claim and to warn Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te against pursuing independence. Accepting the actions of the Chinese Coast Guard "conducted law enforcement patrols in the waters surrounding Taiwan" as lawful is to accept Beijing's “One China principle” and to acquiesce in China's claim that Taiwan falls under its sovereignty. ◆ The Diplomat, 2024-11-15: 56 percent of Taiwanese respondents showing a preference for her over former President Donald Trump. In the wake of the U.S. elections, the administration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has largely sought to reassure that it expects Taiwan-U.S. ties to be stable. ◆ Bloomberg, 2024-11-15: Taiwan's Lai to Pass Through US Weeks Before Trump Takes Office

Taiwan's Lai Ching-te and China's Xi JinPing congratulate Trump
◆ The Hill, 2024-11-6	Taiwan president congratulates Trump on victory. William Lai Ching-te posted on the social platform X. “I'm confident that the longstanding Taiwan-US partnership, built on shared values & interests, will continue to serve as a cornerstone for regional stability & lead to greater prosperity for us all.” Trump has made several incendiary comments about Taiwan, saying it should have to pay the U.S. to defend the nation against China and that Taipei stole the United States's ability to make semiconductors. He has also called Chinese President Xi Jinping “brilliant.”
◆ CNA, 2024-11-6	Robert O'Brien expresses thanks
◆ Bloomberg, 2024-11-6	Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is considering trying to make a call to Donald Trump after his US election victory, in a move that would likely be seen by Beijing as a sign of Taiwan seeking to assert independence. Lai has no plan to arrange a congratulatory call with Trump, the Presidential Office said in a statement ( 到目前為止沒有規畫致電表達祝賀之意)
◆ 中国央視(CCTV), Dagens (UK), 2024-11-7	Xi Jinping Congratulates Trump, Pushes for Peaceful U.S.-China Future. Chinese President Xi Jinping personally called Donald Trump to congratulate him on his election victory, according to China's Foreign Ministry. "History has shown that China and the United States benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Stable, healthy and stable Sino-American relations meet the common interests of both countries and the expectations of the international community," Xi stated, as reported by Ukrinform's own correspondent.He expressed optimism that both nations would continue to uphold principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and mutually beneficial cooperation. "We look forward to further strengthening dialogue and communication with Washington and to managing differences responsibly, finding ways to expand cooperation for the benefit of both countries and the world," Xi added.

Retrocession Day (Oct. 25) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocession_Day#:~:text=Retrocession%20Day%20is%20the%20annual,China%20on%2025%20October%201945.
◆ Reuters (UK) , 2024-10-25	Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said no "external force" can change our future, visiting sensitive frontline islands Kinmen for the 75th anniversary of a key victory over communist forces. The Kinmen battle (1949-10-25) was a rare victory for (KMT) Chiang Kai-shek's forces in the final days of China's civil war.
◆ Global Times, 2024-10-26	Mainland (China) slams DPP for silence on anniversary (Retrocession Day at 1945-10-25) of Taiwan recovery from Japanese occupation. "It is hoped that the majority of Taiwan compatriots will remember the history of Taiwan's martyrs' resistance to the Japanese invasion". Lai Ching-te said that the Battle of Guningtou (Kinmen) in October 25, 1949 represents determination to protect "our country" which analysts viewed as yet another provocative move following his secessionist "Double Ten" speech on October 10.

◆ United States Institute of Peace, 2024-10-24: Lai may have been attempting to lower the temperature after a series of earlier provocative remarks that stoked Beijing's ire. China's bellicose response to his more moderate remarks may lead Lai to believe there is nothing he can do to lower the temperature. ◆ The Hill, 2024-10-25: The inauguration in May of Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te has only escalated tensions; he is pro-U.S. ◆ NY Times, 2024-10-22: The frequency of the exercises suggests that China is stepping up its intimidation efforts: The Chinese military has held two such large-scale exercises since Mr. Lai took office in May, the same number that it held over the previous eight years.◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-10-17: Chinese officials described the encirclement drill as a “firm and mighty punishment” after Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said it is “absolutely impossible” for China to be the “motherland” of Taiwan. On Taiwan's National Day Mr. Lai vowed to “resist annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty.”◆ AFP, 2024-10-17: China toughens Taiwan stance over president's sovereignty defence. China warned after the speech that Lai's "provocations" would result in "disaster" for the people of Taiwan. "One very big difference between Tsai and Lai is that in Beijing's consideration, Tsai might be more moderate, in the middle of the spectrum of unification and independence", Taiwan's expert said. ◆ New York Times, 2024-10-16: China's drills were aimed at demonstrating its potential to choke Taiwan's access to food and fuel and block the skies and waters from which the United States and its allies would presumably approach in coming to the island's defense. “China continues to press up against the contiguous zone so these activities are coming closer and closer to Taiwan shores,” said David Sacks ◆ Le monde, 2024-10-15: China steps up pressure on Taiwan as military drills prepare for potential invasion. Making Taiwanese fighters modernization is an acute necessity. ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-10-17: Mainland officials depict President Lai Ching-te as an advocate for Taiwan's independence—a red line for Beijing. Lai says he is committed to preserving the status quo.

SCMP (2024-11-23): Taiwan's William Lai Ching-te slides to a new low in popularity, plagued by political turmoil and a wave of social discontent
　

pic.: "comment Lai Ching-te" (Chinese version) ranks No.1 on Microsoft Bing , 2025-1-11, 2024-12-22, 2024-12-1, 2024-11-21, 2024-11-12, 2024-10-20, 2024-10-15, 2024-10-1, 2024-9-30, 2024-9-25, 2024-9-17, 2024-9-10, 2024-8-26, 2024-8-14, 2024-8-8, 2024-7-22, 2024-7-9, 2024-7-1, 2024-6-16, 2024-6-13, 2024-6-9, 2024-6-1, 2024-5-8, 2024-5-1, 2024-4-10, 2024-3-21, 2024-3-15, 2024-1-26, 2024-1-1, 2023-12-25, 2023-12-18, 2023-11-22, 2023-10-25, 2023-10-13, 2023-10-3, 2023-9-28, 2023-9-18, 2023-9-1, 2023-8-29, 2023-8-19, 2023-8-8, 2023-8-1, 2023-7-31, 2023-7-25, 2023-7-24

What did China comment Taiwan's National Day speech Reuters (2024-10-13): Taiwan's security was continuing to watch Chinese media comments about Taiwan president Lai's national day speech.
◆ New York Times (US) , 2024-10-13	Beijing accused the self-governing island's president of promoting independence in a National Day address. Lai's remarks were an attempt to “sever the historical connections between the two sides.” Mr. Lai was “heightening tensions in the Taiwan Strait for his selfish political interest”nytimes.com/2024/10/13/world/asia/china-taiwan-war-games.html?ysclid=m28fat62dp684342561
◆ Reuters (UK), 2024-10-14	China starts new round of war games near Taiwan, offers no end date. "The drill also serves as a stern warning to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces. It is a legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity"
◆ Xinhua, 2024-10-14	China's "Joint Sword-2024B" drills are a powerful deterrent to the separatist activities of "Taiwan independence" elements
◆ Global Times, 2024-10-13	Some Western media referred to Lai's speech as "softer" than his recent speeches. However, Lai's speech is‘a poison pill wrapped in cellophane’. It is evident that Lai is not merely talking about "Taiwan independence" — he is actively taking steps to promote it. The "ROC" Lai refers to is a "Taiwanized ROC" which is fundamentally distinct from the ROC advocated by the Kuomintang (KMT) - encompasses the mainland. Lai's changes are merely tactical adjustments. The core and essence remained unchanged: promoting "Taiwan independence" has not changed; the confrontational stance toward the mainland has not changed; the narrative of playing the "democracy and freedom" card has not changed; the methods of colluding with external forces have not changed; the tactic of blaming the mainland for the deterioration of cross-Straits relations has not changed; and the hyping of the "China threat" rhetoric has not changed. By emphasizing mutual non-subordination, Lai is attempting to legitimize "Taiwan separatism"...
◆ Global Times, 2024-10-12	Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's speech was steeped in hypocrisy. “Our efforts to maintain the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait remain unchanged.” This is a prime example of a thief crying "stop thief." Unlike the approaches of the past, Lai is now adopting a more radical and overt strategy, Lai's boldness is largely due to his delusion that the Chinese mainland won't take action for reunification. Lai's other misconception is that the US will undoubtedly defend Taiwan.
◆ China Daily, 2024-10-12	Lai Ching-te - repackaging his new "two states" theory and deliberately provoking the mainland. Lai has already surpassed his predecessors including Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian and Tsai Ing-wen on the path of "Taiwan independence."
◆ Global Times, 2024-10-11	Lai Ching-te proclaims himself ‘pragmatic Taiwan independence worker,’ but in fact he is a ‘pragmatic war instigator’. Lai's stubborn promotion of the new "two states" theory has severely escalated tensions
◆ Global Times, 2024-10-10	Lai wrongly believes that as the mainland has to tackle its internal issues such as economic challenges, it will tolerate his "Taiwan independence" rhetoric and deeds in order to achieve its economic growth goals and maintain social stability. However, notably, even when the mainland was not yet powerful, it didn't hesitate to contain "Taiwan independence" and safeguard the prospects for reunification, let alone now that China is currently the second largest economy in the world with comprehensive strengths. The US treats the island merely as a lever to counter the Chinese mainland. This approach risks turning the island into cannon fodder if a conflict really breaks out in the Taiwan Straits.

Taiwan's president in first National Day speech
◆ Financial Times , 2024-10-10	Taiwan's president calls on China to ‘live up to’ duty to protect peace. China accused Lai of “deliberately severing the historical connection” between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait; and has threatened to annex it with military force if Taipei indefinitely resists its control. China has not previously responded to a Taiwan president's national address with military moves
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-10-10	Taiwan Leader Urges Calm Amid Military Threats...Lai Ching-te, who China accuses of separatism, says Beijing has no right to represent Taiwan
◆ BBC, 2024-10-10	Taiwan's president vows to resist 'annexation'
◆ Washington Post , 2024-10-10	Lai Ching-te says Beijing has no right to represent Taiwan.
◆ Washington Examiner , 2024-10-11	Lai Ching-te declared “On this land, democracy and freedom are growing and thriving... " . These are fine words. Unfortunately, words can't shoot down missiles. In that regard, Taiwan has a big problem. a 2.5% of GDP defense budget is a sad joke. Taiwanese reserve forces lack adequate training and readiness, and its military procurement remains too reliant on platforms that lack agility and survivability......
◆ Reuters, 2024-10-10	China said Lai was a stubborn adherent of Taiwan independence, full of confrontational thinking, "constantly provoking troubles and deliberately aggravating cross-strait tensions". "Lai Ching-te has made every effort to piece together the grounds for secession"
◆ Reuters, 2024-10-12	China threatens Taiwan with more trade measures after denouncing president's speech
◆ Bloomberg , 2024-10-11	Lai reiterated that that neither side of the strait separating the two sides was “subordinate to each other.” Beijing criticized for sending “a dangerous signal of seeking independence.”... his speech showed “he is hell-bent on Taiwan independence and has the ill intention of heightening tensions in the Taiwan Strait for his political, selfish interest.
◆ AFP , 2024-10-10	China warned after the speech that Lai's "provocations" would result in "disaster" for the people of Taiwan.
◆ EuroNews , 2024-10-10	Taiwan celebrated its National Day amid rising tensions with China

◆ Reuters, 2024-10-5: It is "impossible" for the People's Republic of China to become Taiwan's motherland, the island's President Lai Ching-te said ◆ Economist 2024-10-3: Chinese authorities call Lai Ching-te a stubborn, confrontational “separatist” who may provoke war in the Taiwan Strait. But since Mr Lai's election, PLA has been raising the chances of conflict by deploying more air and naval craft around Taiwan. Few people in Taiwan are aware of how close and regular the PLA patrols are... too much disclosure would damage Taiwan’s public morale or economy ◆ GIS Report, 2024-9-30: Lai Ching-te seems to be a much calmer character than former President Chen, although he does not yet demonstrate the elegance of Tsai Ing-wen. In terms of soft tactics, he still has a lot to improve. Lai Ching-te's hard approach is reflected in his conclusion that China had misinterpreted United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 ◆ National Interest, 2024-9-28: Taiwan is at the center of the rising battle between the oldest modern democracy in the world, the United States, and China. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei increased as a result of last January's presidential elections in the island that put into power the Democratic Progressive Party candidate, Lai Ching-te, who ran on a platform inimical to the interests of Beijing ◆ Crisis Group, 2024-9-26: The Widening Schism across the Taiwan Strait / Beijing finds the Lai administration's cross-strait posture provocative and will escalate its already heightened pressure campaign to challenge Taiwan's de facto sovereignty. Taipei should return to more measured, cautious public characterisations of its status and relationship to China ◆ Brookings, 2024-9-25: The Lai Ching-te administration does not believe Beijing's strategic appetite for absorbing Taiwan can be sated through dialogue, reassurance, or deeper economic integration To make progress in advancing grand strategy, the Lai administration will need to overcome deepening domestic political divides as well as challenges to Taiwan's well-being, such as limits on energy supply and demographic headwinds. ◆ Asia Nikkei (Japan), 2024-9-26: International Crisis Group advises Taiwan's new president (Lai) should adopt a less muscular posture toward China, even if doing so is unlikely to soften Beijing's own hawkish ◆ War On The Rocks (2024-9-20): Washington is quietly watching how Taiwan's new president Lai consolidates power using the court to prosecute former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan over corruption allegations. The arrest and detention of TPP chair Ko Wen-je on corruption charges have Lai's critics protesting that he is using the judiciary to persecute rivals. Washington observers might worry that Lai is undermining the independence of the judicial system ◆ Financial Times, 2024-9-19: China's People's Liberation Army has ratcheted up patrols and drills near Taiwan to unprecedented levels since President Lai Ching-te took office，The scale of activity is getting larger and larger, and so it is harder to discern when they might be shifting from training to a large exercise, and from an exercise to war.

What Lai Ching-te said
	Lai said (via video) during the annual Concordia Summit in New York, etc and his four-pillar plan - brief ♦ (1) national defense as a means of achieving peace ♦ (2) Taiwan's solidarity with the alliance of democracies is essential to jointly deter authoritarianism (China) ♦ (3) Taiwan ‘absolutely will not sign’ an agreement with Beijing implying that the nation is part of China United Daily 2024-9-25和民主陣營站在一起，共同發揮威懾力量，以備戰達到避戰，並強調絕不會簽署和平協定。 udn.com/news/story/6656/8249058?from=udn_ch2cate6638sub6656_pulldownmenu_v2
what Lai did
	Lai wants to rely on the United States to protect it ♦ (1) Financial Times 9-19: Lai's national defence spending for 2025 marks a slight drop in terms of GDP, from 2.5 per cent this year to 2.45 per cent. (by contrast, Israel 6% ) GIS Report, 2024-9-30: even to 3 percent of GDP is unlikely to satisfy U.S. expectations under a Trump administration. ♦ (2) Washington Post, 2024-8-4: Young Taiwanese are not answering the call. Only 6 percent of eligible conscripts — 6,936 people — took part in the newly implemented 12-month program this year. Taiwanese men who completed mandatory service within the last 12 years are theoretically called back for refresher training every second year; only a fifth of the reservists who went through refresher training last year completed the newly extended two-week course, with the majority doing only five or seven days. ♦ (3) Elbridge Colby (co-led the Trump administration's development of its National Defense Strategy) said (Taipei Times, 2024): There are few visible indicators of a society preparing to repel an attack as one might see in, say, Israel. Indeed; Taiwanese leaders themselves have undermined this effort by urging the US to send key weapons, industrial base attention, and money to Ukraine rather than Taiwan.
Economist, 2024-9-5: polls suggest Taiwanese will to resist rests, on whether Taiwanese think America will defend them.
	♦ Wall Street Journal, 2024-8-28: Elbridge Colby has fired off a flurry of social-media commentary suggesting the U.S. may not come to Taiwan's defense in the event of Chinese aggression. ♦ 247wallst. 2024-9-19: Similar to Ukraine, the United States may opt to stay out of any armed conflict but supply Taiwan with substantial military aid to fight alone. ♦ The Hill, 2024-9-26: Every day the U.S. sends an inadvertent message of “non-deterrence” to China. ♦ Foreign Policy, 2023-9-8: Deterrence in Taiwan Is Failing / The United States has committed to keeping the peace but isn't doing enough to stop the war ♦ The i, 2024-8-16: the war in Ukraine has sucked so much resource and attention from Europe that it cannot militarily support another conflict in its current state. The US cannot prosecute a war (ps: in Taiwan) beyond the weapons and munitions in its inventory.

"cyberwar" - pro-Russian vs Taiwan
The Jamestown Foundation , 2024-9-30	Russia was quick to respond to President Lai's suggestion: Lai is not authorized to speak on China's behalf about the ownership of Russian territories. Taiwan should focus on China's offer of peaceful reunification. Komsomol’skaia Pravda, February 9, 2019: The Qing land lost is almost twice the size of modern Germany. China's stridency towards the Soviet Union subsided following Mao's death
CNBC (USA), 2024-9-13	"a large number of foreign IPs launched invalid queries" on stock exchange network, resulting in “unstable service for a short period of time. Local media reported this attack on the Taiwanese government and financial unites, including airports and tax bureaus by a pro-Russian hacker group in retaliation for comments made by Taiwanese President William Lai (Lai Ching-te) .cnbc.com/2024/09/13/pro-russian-hackers-crash-taiwan-stock-exchange-website-local-media-reports-.html
Daily Express (UK), 2024-9-3	Lai Ching-te has mocked Vladimir Putin with a humiliating quip, saying his biggest ally China should take advantage of Russia being at its "weakest" and take back territory.

◆ Asia Nikkei (Japan), 2024-9-11: Beijing wades into Taipei drama over corruption probe against TPP leader Ko Wen-je, and has accused Taiwan's president of persecuting Beijing-leaning revals ◆ Financial Times, 2024-9-6: Prosecutors' swift moves against Cheng (former premier 鄭文燦) and Ko Wen-je (Chairman of TPP) have prompted Taiwanese commentators to question whether Lai was “cleaning house” of political rivals or pushing an anti-corruption crackdown to win back public support (divert attention from the current chaos in domestic politics.). an official at the Judicial Yuan said investigators typically sounded out their superiors before proceeding with big cases, especially those involving vested interests or politicians. “In a case like this, a signal would have been given from above before they go and detain him" ◆ Asia Nikkei (Japan), 2024-9-5: Taiwan's Ko Wen-je accuses government of witch hunt; Ko Wen-je, head of the Taiwan People's Party, vowed to fight on and launched broadsides against the legal system and the press, accusing them of doing the bidding of President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party. ◆ Newsweek , 2024-9-5: Russian Foreign Ministry said Lai is "being pushed towards separatism by the Americans." ; he should focus more on attention to Taiwan's economy... ◆ US News & World Report , 2024-9-1: The TPP and KMT joined forces this year to push through reforms to give parliament greater oversight power that prompted mass protests. Those reforms, opposed by President Lai Ching-te's DPP, are being reviewed by Taiwan's constitutional court. TPP founder Ko Wen-je was released today after being questioned in graft probe ◆ Reuters, 2024-9-2: If China wants Taiwan it should also take back land from Russia, president Lai Ching-te says ◆ EFE (Spain), 2024-8-29: Taiwan says not 'affiliated' with China after Wang- Sullivan meeting in Beijing; Since William Lai (Lai Ching-te) took office in May, China has raised the tone of its threats against the “secessionists” of Taiwan ...... ◆ SCMP, 2024-8-30: Taiwan's new leader is cutting mainland ties by reframing history ◆ Asia Nikkei (Japan), 2024-8-27: William Lai marks 100 days in office as China and opposition test mettle; The defining themes of his presidency so far have been efforts to reform the economy, strengthen Taiwan's defenses against China's threats and deal with a confrontational opposition that controls parliament. ◆ Defense News, 2024-8-23: President Lai Ching-te's election campaign promised that defense spending would reach 3% of GDP. Taiwan's defense expenditures in 2025 will represent 2.45% of GDP, almost identical to this year's if lawmakers approve the proposal later this month. ◆ National Review, 2024-8-23: the CCP's prominent Chinese People's Political and Consultative Conference body purportedly passed a resolution urging the Chinese authorities to craft a “Taiwan Province Separatist Forces Blacklist”; The author of that resolution called for the execution of Taiwanese president William Lai ◆ Financial Times, 2024-8-22: Taiwan's top security officials make secret trip to US for talks; Some US officials are also privately nervous about Lai, who is inexperienced in foreign affairs and seen as more unpredictable than Tsai. ◆ Atlantic Council, 2024-8-21: Lai Ching-Te and the Legislative Yuan should work together to increase defense spending and military readiness. This requires ensuring that more new voluntary military recruits and conscripts are familiar with or trained in manning asymmetrical systems, such as the Stinger, Javelin, and Harpoon missiles.◆ AFP, 2024-8-21: Lai Ching-te points to Beijing's joint exercises with Russia in the South China Sea, Western Pacific and Sea of Japan. Lai has repeatedly made overtures for dialogue with Beijing but talks have effectively dried up since the 2016 election of his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, who has long said Taiwan is not part of China. ◆ Asia Nikkei (Japan), 2024-8-15: Excessive U.S. pressure on Taiwan defense spending plays into (China) CCP's hands ◆ GIS Report (Geopolitical Intelligence Services), 2024-8-15: Lai Ching-te is struggling to counter the creative use of pressure coming from China. Lai's governance style is seen as more “manly” and unafraid of conflict, while lacking a degree of sophistication. ◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-8-9: Taiwan's President, Lai Ching-te, has unveiled plans to increase defense spending by nearly six percent. Taiwan should do all it can to prepare for the worst and mounts a stiff resistance if deterrence fails. To that end, Taiwan's leaders should embrace a new defense spending target of five percent of GDP and rapidly meet that goal through yearly double-digit percentage increases ◆ Washington Post, Star and Strips, 2024-8-4: the “Zero Day” show's bleak assessment of Taiwanese readiness to fight touches upon a very real problem facing President Lai Ching-te. Matt Pottinger says that Taiwan needs the political will and foresight to dedicate some of its best military officers to recruitment and instruction. “I'm really hoping that Taiwan makes these sacrifices"

Should biological males compete against women? Taiwan's Olympic Controversies - Lin won a Gold medal in female boxing nThe Diplomat, 2024-8-6: a global furor over a boxer's gender. n Fox News, 2024-8-4: Debate over the biological sex of a boxer who won women's match at the Olympic Games is sweeping the globe. n Fox News, 2024-8-11: The IBA has said that Lin had an unfair advantage against female opponents.
West	Taiwan
♦ Associated Press News, 2024-8-11: The two boxers' detractors included former U.S. President Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. Their presence in Paris became a weapon in a largely Western culture clash over eligibility for women's sports. ♦ BBC, 2024-8-12: high profile figures like ex-US President Donald Trump and English author JK Rowling took to social media to decry the decision to let them compete in the women's categories. ♦ Reuters, 2024-8-7: Tesla founder Elon Musk voicing their opposition to the two boxers competing at the Games. ♦ Fox News , 2024-8-4: ...a positive test for "XY chromosomes. The IBA: said Lin and Khelif have competitive advantages. ♦ BBC, 2024-8-9: Dr Emma Hilton, a developmental biologist who studies genetic disorders. argues Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting shouldn’t be competing until further testing is done.Some are calling for mandatory sex testing at the next Olympics - including Reem Alsalem, the UN's special rapporteur on violence against women and girls. “Screening DNA is now a piece of cake". ♦ Axios, 2024-8-9: Khelif : The attacks came from a host of prominent Republicans as well as celebrities	♦ Reuters, 2024-8-7: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Lin had been "maliciously attacked" by the IBA. "Yu-Ting is still under a lot of unfair pressure..." 　 ♦ BBC, 2024-8-12: Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te calls Lin a "daughter of Taiwan," saying she had made Taiwan proud. " she has overcome misinformation and cyberbullying" . 　 ♦ Independent, 2024-8-8: "Let's cheer for Lin Yu-ting together", wrote Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's first female president , adding that Lin was seeking victory for herself and honour for Taiwan.
PS: Taiwan's The China Times (2024-8-13): Olympics Paris forced one of Taiwan's athletes to do gender test. (巴黎奧運公然對台灣某位選手無禮，竟強迫她去作性別檢查) chinatimes.com/opinion/20240813001656-262110?chdtv

◆ TIME, 2024-8-2: Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling, a key opinion leader, is publicly questioning the Taiwanese athlete's ( Olympian Lin Yu Ting has XY chromosomes ) gender (a transgender ) and doubling down on opposition to the participation of athletes like Lin. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's spokesperson said that Lin “has shown incredible strength, overcoming doubts to compete fairly on the world stage. Your determination inspires the nation!” ◆ Bloomberg, 2024-7-30: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledged to work with other democracies around the world to stand up to China, and “continue to push for defense autonomy” and weapons procurement from overseas, his comments likely to deepen his rift with Beijing.◆ Reuters, 2024-7-30: Taiwan president (Lai Ching-te) warns on China, pushes defence self-reliance ◆ Benzinga, 2024-7-30: After Trump's Taiwan comments, President Lai Ching Te says 'China's threat to any individual country is a threat to the world'◆ Independent (UK), 2024-7-30: Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be worse global crisis than Ukraine war or Covid, warns president Lai Ching-te ◆ Politico, 2024-7-25: Trump spooks Taiwan / The political class of Taiwan is increasingly uneasy that a Donald Trump victory in Nov. may make Taiwan a bargaining chip in U.S. diplomacy with Beijing. Trump also suggested that trying to defend the island would be futile ◆ Associated Press, 2024-7-24: President Lai Ching-te stressed the need for the island to continue exercises simulating an attack by enemies amid 'changing geopolitics'.◆ Bloomberg, 2024-7-22: Taiwan's President risks angering China with 'National Identity' call. Lai Ching-te urges DPP to protect Taiwan sovereignty. KMT lawmaker said it smacked of “ideology and nationalism” and was a sign that Lai was moving toward despotism ◆ US News, 2024-7-21: Taiwan must protect its sovereignty and know its own culture and history, President Lai Ching-te said, rejecting what he said was the previous mistaken belief the island could serve as a base to "retake" China. ◆ New York Times, 2024-7-16: China is putting more military and political pressure on Taiwan and its new president (Lai Ching-te), whose rhetoric has been sharper than his predecessor's... Mr. Lai with hard choices about how and when to push back or exercise restraint ◆ Bloomberg, TIME, 2024-7-11: China sent a record number of warplanes across a U.S.-drawn boundary in the Taiwan Strait—a move that comes as the new president (Lai Ching-te) of the archipelago mulls a trip that may include a stop in America ◆ Financial Times, 2024-7-10: President Lai Ching-te has made improving civil defences a priority since he took office. However experts warn that Taiwan remains woefully underprepared for war. ◆ Reuters, 2024-7-9: Taiwan president says ahead of annual war games that "In history, there are many cases where the few win out over the many, and there are countless ways to win over old-fashioned enemies with new thinking." ◆ National Interest, 2024-7-5: Taiwan seeks to escape its history / Lai Ching-te said Taiwan has been an international entity ... since 1624. DPP administrations have issued textbooks that teach Taiwan's history separately from Chinese history. But The Struggle for Taiwan : Taiwan was, in fact, part of the Chinese empire from 1683 to 1895, and part of the Japanese empire after the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–5). US President Franklin Roosevelt at the wartime Cairo Conference (1943) agreed that Taiwan would be “restored to the Republic of China” after the defeat of Japan. However, Lai's clear preference for Taiwan's permanent separation from China echoes almost verbatim an emerging U.S. argument that Taiwan's geostrategic importance dictates that Washington should never allow China to gain control over it. nationalinterest.org/feature/taiwan-seeks-escape-its-history-211750
　

China seized Taiwan boat with crew for fishing illegally - a move could add to tensions between Beijing and President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan.
◆ New York Times, 2024-7-3	China Seizes Taiwanese Fishing Boat in Latest Uptick in Tensions; Bonnie Glaser: China wants to demonstrate to Taiwan that it does not have control over air space and sea space...and sends a signal to Lai Ching-te that he is very close to their red lines and he had better not cross them.
◆ Bloomberg, 2024-7-3	China sees Lai Ching-te as pushing for independence for the US-backed island...Officials in Taipei have also expressed concern that China will detain more individuals from the island to pile pressure on Lai.

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◆ Washington Examiner, 2024-7-2: Xi Jinping's regime is setting the legal and diplomatic table for a crackdown on Taiwan while blaming the United States for the growing possibility of war over the island democracy... “The Chinese government has the right to expel this regime..." The ominous rhetoric seems to express in part Xi’s displeasure with Lai Ching-Te ◆ Washington Post, 2024-7-1: China: Taiwan's leadership, along with its supporters in the United States, is pursuing “separation” from China in “incremental” fashion. ◆ Nikkei Asia , 2024-7-2: China pressures Taiwan's Lai (Ching-te) with most jet fighters in nearly 2 years ◆ Asia Society, 2024-6-26: Lai Ching-te's inauguration speech, however, was clear and much less restrained than that of his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, whose rhetorical flair in public speeches opted for cautious and strategically dull wording. In fact, Lai placed greater emphasis on the differences between Taiwan and the PRC ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-6-23: Lai Ching-te said he aimed to make Taiwan the “Asian center for the democratic drone supply chain."; Taiwan has the know-how to build its own unmanned aircraft, now it is a question of scale. ◆ CNN, 2024-6-21: China has made no secret of its dislike of President Lai Ching-te. China threatens death penalty for ‘diehard’ Taiwan separatists ◆ Bloomberg, 2024-6-21: Activities that can lead to guilty verdicts include promoting Taiwan's membership in international organizations and conducting official exchanges and military contacts with other nations, according to a legal opinion issued by China's top court ; But The opinion didn't name new President Lai Ching-te or his predecessor, Tsai I. W. ◆ Voice of America, 2024-6-13: International Crisis Group expert: Beijing's approach, it seems at least for now, is really to lean on Washington to keep the incoming Lai administration on a more moderate course ◆ TIME, 2024-6-13: new president Lai Ching-te : "dignity and equivalence with the PRC" means 1. the PRC should recognize that the Republic of China exists. 2. each issue should be mutually beneficial and reciprocal 3.share a common conviction to enhance the well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, working toward an objective of peace and mutual prosperity ◆ VOA, 2024-6-13: The future of Taiwan, at least for the next four years, largely depends on the actions of the island's new president, Lai Ching-te. ◆ Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Swiss), 2024-6-6: Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te wanted to lead the island to independence. Expert in Australia says an attack by China on Taiwan would also lead to conflicts in the South China Sea, which is claimed by China, and attacks by North Korea on South Korea. ◆ United States Institute of Peace , 2024-6-6:Given Lai Ching-te's tougher line on China and Beijing's unyielding position on Taiwan, it's unlikely that cross-Strait relations will improve or that tensions will lower anytime soon. Washington should remain laser-focused on helping Taiwan defend itself and deter military conflict. ◆ Washington Examiner, 2024-6-4: The frosty relationship between Taiwan and China over the past eight years got even colder after Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te took office ◆ CNN, 2024-6-4: Taiwan celebrities in crossfire of political battle as tensions with China rise / Ashin – one of Taiwan's biggest music stars – had referred to himself as Chinese... Taiwan President Lai Ching-te says 'We should offer them understanding and empathy'. ◆ Washington Examiner, 2024-5-31: In 'punishment drills', China stages dress rehearsal of military assault on Taiwan. Foreign Affairs : invasion does not appear to be China's preferred option. Beijing's more probable plan is to gradually intensify the policy: a creeping encroachment into Taiwan's airspace, maritime space, and information space. The United States must become more alert to the dangers posed by a slow strangulation of Taiwan. ◆ Newsweek, 2024-5-31: Lai Ching-te faced China's largest-scale military exercises in nearly two years... Bonnie Glaser expects more military drills around Taiwan intended to intimidate and warn the new Lai administration against pursuing independence actions ◆ Washington Times, 2024-5-29: Joint Sword 2024A drills is also a strategic signal to Taiwanese President William Lai letting him know that every day of his administration will be under the threat of invasion, regardless of whether or not it happens. Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party are betting this will have a huge psychological impact on Mr. Lai and perhaps he will crack under the pressure and give in, or he will make a mistake and give Beijing an excuse to invade Taiwan. ◆ SUN (Malaysia), RT, 2024-6-1: Beijing is showing it's willing to go to war over Taiwan, and it's preparing for the inevitable consequences behind the scenes. ⊙ full text

◆

CSIS ChinaPower Project, 2024-5-25 / Chinese officials and state media have made six different criticisms of Lai's inauguration speech:

1. It distorts Taiwan's relations with China, does not recognize that Taiwan is part of China, promotes a two-state theory, and labels China as a foreign country;
2. It seeks external involvement and intervention to support Taiwan independence and to make Taiwan a pawn for the west;
3. It tries to use democracy as a guise to pursue independence and undermine peace and stability;
4. It exaggerates and stokes the military threat from China;
5. It weaponizes Taiwan public opinion against China;
6. It does not accurately reflect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan

◆ AFP, 2024-5-24: China's military drills encircle Taiwan / China warns that Taiwan's leadership was pushing the self-ruled island into war and warned of further "countermeasures". The United Nations called for all sides to avoid escalation. ◆ CNBC, 2024-5-24: This military drill is a signal to shape international narratives. The real 'punishment' against Taiwan may be yet to come, for it takes time.", expert with the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub said. Lai Ching-te may "become emboldened" to depart further from his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen's relatively cautious positioning and "act on his pro-independence instincts ◆ Reuters, Korea Times, 2024-5-24: Beijing was sending a finely calibrated warning that Chinese forces could attempt a swift blockade if it wanted to bring Lai to heel ◆ Financial Times, 2024-5-22: Lai Ching-te's language on sovereignty has already strayed from the path taken by his more cautious predecessor. ◆ Washington Post, 2024-5-20: Taiwan swears in new president, the ruling party DPP has transformed the island democracy into a bulwark against Chinese aggression and brushed off increasingly ominous threats from Beijing; the perception is that Lai Ching-te's policy could be more provocative compared to Tsai's policy ◆ New York Times, 2024-5-20: Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te vows to keep the island democracy safe in the face of Chinese pressure and wars raging abroad

Bloomberg : "He wants to lead Taiwan, But can he keep peace?"

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China Launches Military Drills Around Taiwan as 'Punishment', 'Reprisals'
◆ New York Times, 2024-5-22	China took offense to Mr. Lai's assertion that — they “are not subordinate to each other” — and his emphasis on Taiwan's democratic identity and warnings against threats from China. Beijing accused Mr. Lai of promoting formal independence for Taiwan ── the drill was “based on various stages of an invasion of Taiwan... might feature training to seize one of those islands.
◆ BBC, 2024-5-23	the ongoing exercise is aimed at "simulating a full-scale armed invasion of Taiwan"... for the first time also targeted the Taipei-controlled islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin. China aims to show Taipei that its east is now exposed to Chinese attack, and to show the Americans that any effort to resupply or re-enforce Taiwan from the east is vulnerable to Chinese missile strikes and naval attack.
◆ AFP, 2024-5-23	China holds war games around Taiwan, vows flowing blood。 CCTV : the drills were partly aimed at rehearsing an economic blockade of the island, "strangle" Taiwan's critical Kaohsiung port to "severely impact" its foreign trade, and cut off "Taiwan's lifeline of energy imports" as well as "block the support lines that some US allies provide to 'Taiwan independence' forces". General S. Sklenka described the exercises as "concerning" but not unexpected.
◆ CNN, 2024-5-22	CCTV: creating an omnidirectional approach in pushing toward the island. An expert ( at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) calls China's latest drills “an intimidation tactic, part of a pattern, not a sign of imminent war.” Beijing has a robust coercion kitbag from which it will mix and match, ratchet up and back and up again to signal its range of options to coerce and inflict pain。
◆ AFP, 2024-5-22	China slammed the inauguration speech of new Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as a " downright 'confession of Taiwan independence'"
◆ Washington Post, 2024-5-23	The forces were simulating strikes on “high value ‘enemy’ targets” in military drills.
◆ Reuters, 2024-5-23	Taiwanese officials told Reuters those areas were outside its contiguous zone, which is 24 nautical miles from the main island's coast.

◆ Reuters, 2024-5-20: Lai Ching-te takes office as Taiwan's new president on Monday facing an angry and deeply suspicious China which believes he is a "separatist", and a fractious parliament with an opposition chomping at the bit to challenge him. ◆ Washington Examiner, 2024-5-20: Lai, a deep green, more liberal than Biden member of the DPP，Lai has shown "a willingness to signal a pragmatic approach to outreach to Beijing, effectively a continuation of President Tsai's approach" ◆ Economist (UK), 2024-5-16: Taiwan's incoming president, Lai Ching-te, will face new challenges. If you want the world to help in your struggle against an overbearing neighbour, you must first fight back fiercely yourselves. ◆ AFP (French), 2024-5-16: Taiwan's Lai Ching-te takes the helm as president of the self-ruled island, tasked with navigating the widening rift with an increasingly assertive China. "My defining moment came as China's military adventurism... threatened our shores with live fire exercises and missiles," he wrote in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal last year. During Lai's time as premier, he was more vocal than Tsai about independence ◆ Brookings, 2024-5-14: Beware forecasts of doom for Taiwan under Lai / William Lai is not a wild-eyed zealot with a one-track-minded focus on Taiwan independence. He will want to win reelection. To do so, he almost certainly will need to tack to the center of Taiwan's political spectrum ... Lai's principal task will be to improve living conditions and life prospects for Taiwan's rising generation of voters... drive social and economic reforms through Taiwan's divided legislature... He will need to govern with discretion and finesse, rather than bold strokes, to keep Taiwan safe in the face of China's growing threat. ◆ Foreign Policy, 2024-5-12: William Lai vowed not to alter the status quo; While campaigning, Lai defined success for Taiwan as its leaders being able to visit the White House. This was a gauntlet thrown down—Taiwanese officials are blocked from visiting Washington. The Biden administration immediately demanded an explanation. This was not how the relationship worked. Lai was willing to push his luck. ◆ Economist, 2024-5-16: Taiwan's new president Lai Ching-te faces an upsurge in Chinese coercion; but China's bullying of Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines risks an explosion. ◆ Voice of America, 2024-5-16: Taiwan's new president Lai Ching-te will face growing pressure from China at a time when the world is increasingly divided. ⊙ full text

William Lai's inauguration speech
◆L.A. Times, 2024-5-20 yahoo.com/news/taiwans-president-calls-peace-amid-145319105.html	Taiwan's new president calls for peace amid tenuous relations with China. while Lai's remarks may reassure some foreign governments that he will not pursue formal independence for Taiwan, it did little to placate leaders in China. Lai's inauguration speech largely telegraphed his plan to continue the same policies as Tsai ; He's trying to project an image of pragmatism and predictability
◆BBC, 2024-5-21 yahoo.com/news/stop-threatening-taiwan-president-william-060149657.html	China warned that the island's new leader "must seriously" consider the question of whether he wants peaceful development or confrontation. Chinese state media even suggested he should be prosecuted for secession. The 64-year-old also stuck closely to the formula used by his predecessor president Tsai; how Lai deals with Beijing will be the biggest question that will determine his presidency, especially as both sides have had no formal communication since 2016.
◆Reuters, 2024-5-21 yahoo.com/news/chinas-foreign-minister-calls-taiwans-102611047.html	Lai, like his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, says only Taiwan's people can decide their future, rejecting Beijing's sovereignty claims. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Lai "disgraceful" - "The ugly acts of Lai Ching-te and others who betray the nation and their ancestors is disgraceful".
◆CNN, 2024-5-20	the DPP refused to endorse the so-called “1992 consensus” that both Taiwan and the mainland belong to “one China,” but with different interpretations of what that means. Beijing deems the tacit agreement a precondition for dialogue.
◆Politico, AP, 2024-5-20 yahoo.com/news/lai-ching-te-inaugurated-taiwan-024228911.html	In 2017, he described himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwan's independence,” drawing Beijing's rebuke. He has since softened his stance and now supports maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and the possibility of talks with Beijing.

◆ Reuters, 2024-5-16: Taiwan's incoming president Lai Ching-te faces angry China, fractured parliament; China said the "Taiwan region's new leader" had to make a clear choice between peaceful development or confrontation. "They are trying to pressure the new Lai government, wanting him to make concessions under military pressure" ◆ Reuters, 2024-5-15: China's military has sailed and flown closer to Taiwan in recent weeks than it has before, and staged mock attacks on foreign vessels ahead of the inauguration of the island's next president Lai Ching-te; Beijing ramps up military and political pressure to assert its sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan - a claim Taipei strongly rejects. ◆ Bloomberg, Yahoo, 2024-5-15: China said it would sanction five Taiwanese political commentators and roll out a law to punish “separatists,” moves aimed at piling pressure on incoming president Lai Ching-te just days before he takes office. ◆ War On The Rocks, 2024-5-15: Volodymyr Zelensky, a potent symbol of Ukrainian resistance, said : ”I need ammunition, not a ride”. As with Zelensky, Taiwan's leaders will need the fortitude to stare down a potential onslaught on their nation ◆ The Hill, 2024-5-15: US will send an unofficial delegation as Taiwan’s president is sworn in. It'll test ties with China ◆ Asian News International, 2024-5-17: China's cyberattacks on Taiwan surge ahead of presidential inauguration ◆ Council on Foreign Relations , 2024-5-13: the Economist labels Taiwan “the most dangerous place on earth.” As international attention returns to Taiwan for its presidential inauguration, with keen interest in what president-elect William Lai will say on cross-strait relations. ⊙ full text

◆ Reuters, 2024-5-6: Hsiao and Lai have pledged to continue President Tsai Ing-wen's defence self-sufficiency and modernisation programme . Taiwan must invest in building its own 'strengths', vice president-elect Hsiao says. ◆ SCMP, 2024-5-9: William Lai cites Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ( 'Taiwan's security is a global issue' ) and his predecessor Shinzo Abe ('Taiwan's crisis is Japan's crisis') in highlighting need for Indo-Pacific peace and stability. Beijing has lashed out at Taiwanese president-elect William Lai Ching-te for "ingratiating" himself with Japan, and banking on foreign forces to promote his ambitions of independence. ◆ Reuters, 2024-4-27: William Lai Ching-te says only Taiwan's people can decide their future ◆ Economist (UK), 2024-4-18: China is talking to Taiwan’s next leader, just not directly - Ma Ying-jeou , The island's former president, wrote that Mr Xi had “extended an olive branch to us”. Mr Ma hoped that Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's next president, would “put the people first and respond pragmatically”.

◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-4-15: the White House had worried that Lai would be more likely than Tsai to provoke Beijing with envelope-pushing rhetoric and draw the U.S. into a dangerous confrontation; Appointing a national-security team that is almost identical to that of his predecessor will be welcomed in Washington and help reassure the White House that Lai isn't likely to sharply alter Taiwan's posture toward Beijing ◆ NHK (Japan), 2024-4-25: Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te has announced key members of his new security team; The appointments suggest that Lai will maintain the policy of the outgoing administration regarding diplomacy toward the US and China ◆ New York Times, 2024-4-10: In recent months, China has signaled how it could squeeze Mr. Lai's administration — militarily, economically and diplomatically. It has brushed off Mr. Lai's offers to talk as insincere. On the other hand, Beijing has shown that it will court friendlier Taiwanese politicians,who accept the framework that both sides accept that they are part of one China, even if they differ on what that means. China's “immediate focus is to push the incoming Lai Ching-te administration to adopt a more accommodating political stance on cross-strait relations”◆ Chicago Tribune, 2024-4-2: Lai Ching-te has vowed to safeguard its de-facto independence from China and further align it with other democracies. Taiwan remains the “first red line not to be crossed,” Xi told Biden, and emphasized that Beijing will not tolerate ...“exterior indulgence and support” which alluded to Washington's support for the island.

◆ New York Times, 2024-3-31: Taiwanese officials expect China to intensify its military intimidation once the island's next president, Lai Ching-te, takes office on May 20. His Democratic Progressive Party rejects Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is part of China, and Chinese officials particularly dislike Mr. Lai, often citing his 2017 description of himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwan's independence.”◆ New York Times, 2024-3-24: Beijing has been stepping up such “gray zone” tactics to warn Lai Ching-te — a politician deeply disliked by Chinese leaders. With Lai Ching-te's inauguration on May 20, mainland China is definitely going to steadily, consistently raise the pressure”. Beijing asserts that Taiwan must accept unification, preferably peacefully, but under armed force if Chinese leaders decide that is necessary. Mr. Lai's DPP rejects China's claim to Taiwan, and argues that the island-democracy will chart its own course — self-ruling in practice, even if most governments do not recognize Taiwan as a separate state. ⊙ full text

◆ Reuters, 2024-4-25: Lai has repeatedly offered to talk with China has but been rebuffed. Beijing has repeatedly said any talks can only take place if Taiwan's government accepts that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of "one China", which is supported by the KMT but rejected by Lai ◆ AFP (French), 2024-4-23: Taiwan's Lai Ching-te says US military aid package will 'deter authoritarianism'. Beijing, which regards Lai as a "dangerous separatist", said before the January elections that he would cause "war and decline" for Taiwan. China has ramped up military and political pressures against Taiwan in recent years, sending in warplanes and naval vessels near-daily around the island.

◆ SCMP, 2024-4-19: Taiwan Strait may face ‘political tsunami’ in 2025 / Election of William Lai has sparked cross-strait 'uncertainty' that may worsen if Trump returns to power, article in Taiwan affairs journal says. Lai might adopt "low profile" and "moderate" cross-strait policies after taking office next month, and was unlikely to declare "de jure Taiwan independence" any time soon, the article said. But, in the long term, Lai might bring "high" risks such as decoupling with the mainland economy, and even "very high" risks of "causing major accidental incidents" in the strait... ◆ Newsweek, 2024-3-16: many harbor concerns about the president-elect's history of pro-independence rhetoric; But any fear that Lai Ching-Te might cause a war by declaring formal independence is overblown. He lacks both the will and the power to do so. Only 4.5 percent of Taiwan's public supports an imminent declaration of independence; Most importantly, in Taiwan's political system, the president lacks the authority to declare independence. ⊙ full text

comment Taiwan's president, William Lai Ching-te

♣ The Guardian (2023-5-24): The 63-year-old former public health expert has been in politics since 1996, including as mayor of Tainan. Lai has enjoyed political popularity. He's been described as more “green” (pro-independence) than Tsai, which had prompted some concern about whether a Lai presidency could worsen cross-strait tensions. “ For the DPP’s independentist wing, Lai has always been their favourite son. For DPP’s moderate wing, Lai’s recent movement towards the centre is merely following President Tsai’s footsteps.”theguardian.com/world/2023/may/24/taiwans-choice-who-will-replace-tsai-ing-wen-as-president-amid-china-tensions Helen Davidson in Taipei and Chi Hui Lin

♣ Economist (2023-5-31): The next president Lai Ching-te will take office with the island at the centre of a bubbling superpower showdown. In 2017 he called himself a “Taiwanese independence worker”, antagonising China and providing an uncomfortable reminder to America of Taiwan's first DPP president, Chen Shui-bian (2000-08), whose talk of independence unsettled American negotiations with China. Mr Lai knows he needs to tone down his language. He has said his priority is not taidu, Taiwan independence, but taizhu, Taiwan democracy, and has moderated the DPP's slogan from “resist China and protect Taiwan” to “peacefully protect Taiwan”. But all that is unlikely to wash with the CCP...

♣ Washington Post (2024-11-24): Beijing considers Lai a dangerous “troublemaker” who will move Taiwan toward a formal separation from China, and has twice sanctioned his running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, who was Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the United States until this week. Hsiao on Thursday called for international support to push Beijing toward resuming dialogue with Taiwan if she and Lai win. “War is not an option,”

♣ BBC (2023-11-24): Mr William Lai is not much of a campaigner.

♣ VOA (2023-11-24): For Beijing, Lai is a threat. During a daily press conference on Tuesday, Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson said Lai attempted to hide that he is a “pursuer of Taiwan independence” and an “instigator of war.” Lai has vowed to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait while highlighting the importance of Taiwan maintaining close relations with like-minded democracies such as the United States and Japan.

♣ Bloomberg (2023-11-24) : There is zero chance that the unhappy trajectory in cross-strait relations gets reversed if Lai wins,” he added. “It will certainly lead to a continuation and probable escalation of pressures and threats.”

♣ AOL, Fortune (2023-11-23): To Bloomberg, Lai said that Taiwan does not need formal sovereignty because, for all intents and purposes, the island already acts like an independent country.

♣ China Daily (2023-11-23): Lai Ching-te & Hsiao Bi-khim triggered concerns that the "dual-separatist combination" that Lai and Hsiao forms will only push Taiwan into the abyss. That is why the two have been described as the "most dangerous combination". Hsiao has lobbied the island authorities to lift the ban on imports of US pork that contains the leanness-enhancing additive ractopamine, and encouraged Taiwan to purchase large amounts of US weapons. Always docile and obedient to the US, she acts more like a "US representative to Taiwan".

♣ Axios (2023-11-22): Beijing would be likely to "use heightened military exercises, diplomatic pressure, and economic sanctions as a way to exert pressure on a potential Lai presidency to set the terms of future cross-Strait interaction.

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台灣總統大選辯論 2023-12-30
中国對台灣的壓力成為焦點。台灣選舉標誌著關於自治和獨立的激烈交鋒。民進黨在台灣總統大選辯論中面臨指控。 WION video msn.com/en-in/video/watch/taiwan-set-to-go-polls-on-january-13/vi-AA1mfaaw

澳洲SKY News, 2023-12-31: 分析家和台灣選民表示，美國一直在向總統候選人施壓。美國否認了干預選舉的說法。台灣總統大選僅剩幾週時間，選舉變得更難預測。skynews.com.au/world-news/our-future-has-never-seemed-more-unsteady-what-taiwans-2024-presidential-race-means-for-the-islands-rapidly-deteriorating-relationship-with-china/news-story/fe83df822e798ea6452659ceab914849 Hilton Yip

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Robert O'Brien expresses thanks

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