Editorial丨Secessionists common enemy of China and US

Lai Ching-te's tenure as the head of the Democratic Progressive Party authorities of China's Taiwan region has been marked by a series of missteps and failures that have not only strained cross-Strait relations but also undermined the island's development prospects.Contrary to his shameless claim in a speech on Wednesday marking the two-year anniversary of his tenure that he has maintained the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the DPP authorities have stubbornly adhered to a "Taiwan independence" stance, peddled separatist fallacies and obstructed cross-Strait exchanges.That speech was a response, if not a desperate "don't desert me" plea, to US President Donald Trump's Friday interview, in which the US leader stated, "We're not looking to have somebody say, 'Let's go independent because the United States is backing us'." This remark dealt a heavy blow to Lai.In his speech — yet another litany of lies and deceit — Lai openly groveled to Washington, begging for an opportunity to tell the US leader that he wishes to continue purchasing US weapons, which he misleadingly labeled as essential to peace. Ironically, he tried to assure his audience that the island's future would not be determined by external forces just moments after trying to solicit US support.In an attempt to conceal his secessionist nature, Lai peddled a so-called "Taiwan subject mentality" in his speech, openly seeking to sever the island from the Chinese motherland.This "soft independence" is hidden and pernicious, no less harming than the DPP authorities' overt political separatist sloganeering.Evidently anxious over the US leader's remarks, Lai posted a so-called "five-point speech" on Facebook on Sunday, in which he called black white, barefacedly claiming that his authorities are the protectors of regional peace. Yet to his horror, that "carefully worded" message failed to elicit the hoped for response from Washington — explaining why Lai doubled down on his efforts to appeal to the US not to give up on him.If Lai truly intends to show the world that he is not a secessionist and that he is committed to peace and stability, he should simply pledge his support for the 1992 Consensus and stop fawning over the US.The true color of his secessionist feather is laid bare by the extraordinary lengths he has gone to in an attempt to conceal his separatist nature — and his fear of losing US support for his political agenda.The predicament Taiwan faces today stems from the DPP authorities' long-standing practice of placing ideological manipulation above reality, staking the island's security on the will of the US, and tying the future of Taiwan people to the dangerous path of seeking "Taiwan independence" through reliance on external forces. Once Washington shows even signs of shifting priorities, that layer of illusion surrounding the DPP authorities' reckless approach will be stripped away. In short, "Taiwan independence" is a dead end.Lai's latest remarks do not signal any abandonment of "Taiwan independence", but rather a repackaging of it in more carefully crafted rhetoric."Taiwan independence" is fundamentally incompatible with peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The expansion of separatist forces advocating "Taiwan independence" will ultimately push Taiwan toward a dangerous abyss — a trajectory that runs counter not only to the interests of the Chinese nation, but also to the strategic interests of the US. In this sense, curbing "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait serve the shared interests of both China and the US. Lai's remarks further underscore the reality that "Taiwan independence" has become a common challenge confronting both Beijing and Washington.There is but one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China. No matter what Lai says or does, he will not stop the historical trend toward reunification, which is unstoppable, as a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday.Secessionist /sɪˈseʃənɪst/分裂主义者，脱离联邦者• Fallacy /ˈfæləsi/谬论，谬误• Litany /ˈlɪtəni/唠叨，一连串（枯燥的叙述或抱怨）• Grovel /ˈɡrɒvl/卑躬屈膝，摇尾乞怜• Solicit /səˈlɪsɪt/乞求，争取，征求• Pernicious /pəˈnɪʃəs/有害的，恶性的，流毒深远的• Barefacedly /ˈbeəfeɪsɪdli/厚颜无耻地，公然地• Fawn /fɔːn/阿谀奉承，巴结• Predicament /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/困境，窘境• Trajectory /trəˈdʒektəri/轨迹，弹道