The president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, said on Saturday that the People’s Republic of China cannot be the island’s motherland because of its deep political roots.
In a speech at a concert ahead of the celebrations of Taiwan’s Independence Day on 10 October, Lai noted that the People’s Republic celebrated its 75th anniversary on 1 October, while the Republic of China will turn 113 years old a few days later.
“Therefore, in terms of age, it is absolutely impossible for the People’s Republic of China to become the motherland of the Republic of China’s people. On the contrary, the Republic of China may be the motherland of the people of the People’s Republic of China who are over 75 years old,” the Taiwanese president said.
Lai entered office in May this year and is denounced by Beijing as a separatist. He rejects Beijing’s claims of sovereignty, saying the island is a country called the Republic of China, which traces its origins to the 1911 revolution that overthrew the last imperial dynasty.
“One of the most important meanings of these celebrations is that we must remember that we are a sovereign and independent country,” he added.
The Chinese government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after the defeat of Mao Zedong in the civil war. It established the People’s Republic of China, which continues to regard Taiwan as its territory. Chinese President Xi Jinping, for his part, in a speech on the eve of the country’s national day, reaffirmed his government’s view that Taiwan is part of China.
