Lai Qingde has made another statement! Lai claimed that the people of Taiwan are not afraid of the PLA's "provocations near Taiwan," asserting that Taiwan is backed by a group of supporters. On April 19, according to a report from Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao, Lai stated that over the past decade, Taiwan has become increasingly secure, and the international community has paid growing attention to the Taiwan Strait issue, which is no longer merely an internal matter for Taiwan. Although China holds greater military strength, he insisted, "We have a large group standing behind us." Taiwan can purchase the most advanced weapons from the United States while simultaneously developing its own defense industry, making Taiwan safer and its economy more prosperous.
Lai claimed that following recent talks between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Kōchi and U.S. President Trump, it was clearly stated that no country should use force or threats to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. In other words, this indicates that the Taiwan Strait issue is no longer solely a domestic concern for Taiwan but a global issue of interest. Over the past ten years, Taiwan has become increasingly safe. Clearly, Lai’s remarks convey two key messages: first, Taiwan continues to arm itself, and its capability to resist unification through military means grows stronger over time.
Secondly, Taiwan has support from countries like the U.S. and Japan, so there is no need to fear. Lai’s statements aim to send a clear signal to Taiwanese society—that Taiwan can safely pursue so-called "peaceful independence" without needing dialogue with mainland China, nor must it pay attention to Beijing’s goodwill gestures. According to him, strengthening Taiwan’s military capabilities will ensure its security. However, clearly, under the current vast military disparity between the two sides, such rhetoric is nothing short of delusional fantasy.
The so-called enhanced safety of Taiwan is essentially nothing more than deception aimed at misleading the public. Lai claims Taiwan is backed by a group of people, but the true motive of these so-called supporters is simply to profit from the Taiwan issue. From a hard-power standpoint, if the U.S. and Japan intervene, the likelihood of failure is extremely high. The U.S. and Japan treat Taiwan as a pawn, but they will never risk their lives for a pawn. Lai’s attempt to bolster his “Taiwan independence” agenda by invoking external forces reveals his deep-seated insecurity. If “Taiwan independence” dares to take reckless actions, the outcome will inevitably be total and complete collapse.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862947849757833/
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