China should understand goodwill expressed in Lai's speech: MOFA

Taipei, Oct. 10 (CNA) China should understand the goodwill expressed by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in his National Day Address and "face the reality of cross-strait relations," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.

In his speech delivered on Thursday morning, President Lai clarified that the Republic of China (ROC) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) not being subordinate to each other is an objective fact and the current status across the Taiwan Strait.

The president also emphasized that Taiwan is willing to work with China to address climate change, prevent infectious diseases, and maintain regional security, in pursuit of peace and shared prosperity that will benefit people on both sides.

"China should understand the goodwill expressed by President Lai in his National Day speech and face the reality of cross-strait relations," MOFA said.

"Instead of continually causing insecurity and difficulties in the region, China should try to return to the path of a rules-based international order and contribute to regional peace, stability, prosperity, and the positive development of cross-strait relations," the ministry added.

The MOFA remark was in response to a statement made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning (毛寧), who criticized Lai's speech during a press conference later Thursday.

"Lai's speech deliberately seeks to sever the historical connection between the two sides of the strait and reiterated the rhetoric of 'mutual non-subordination' and 'insisting on sovereignty,'" said Mao.

She slammed Lai for using different means to "sell the fallacy of 'Taiwan independence,'" and went on to say that Lai exposed "his pernicious intention to escalate tensions across the Taiwan Strait for political gain."

The Chinese diplomat then reiterated the "one China principle," stating that Taiwan is an indivisible part of China's territory, "no matter what Lai's administration say or do, they cannot change the objective fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China."

Meanwhile, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-strait affairs, also urged Beijing to understand the goodwill expressed in Lai's speech, and rationally face mainstream public opinion in Taiwan.

"The so-called 'one China principle' proposed by the Chinese Communist Party does not leave room for the survival of the ROC and has been firmly rejected by the Taiwanese people," the MAC said.

In line with President Lai reaffirming his hope for the resumption of equal, healthy and orderly exchanges between the two sides, Taiwan's government has recently taken several measures to promote cross-strait exchanges, including providing assistance to Chinese officials and businesses to attend the 2024 cross-strait summer travel expo in Taipei in July, the MAC said.