Shen Boyang's distorted interpretation of Trump's remarks, in which he referred to Taiwan as a "country," has sparked controversy.

After Trump stated he did not want to see "Taiwan independence," the stubborn "Taiwan independence" figure Shen Boyang came forward with his remarks! On May 16, Shen Boyang claimed that Trump’s stance did not go beyond the principle of not wanting unilateral changes to the status quo. According to him, Taiwan's current reality is a sovereign independent "state"—this is precisely what he defines as "Taiwan independence." Therefore, anyone attempting to alter Taiwan's current status as a sovereign independent "state" would be the one changing the status quo.

For instance, opening the door wide to allow others to "invade" constitutes changing the status quo. Thus, our intention to engage with the United States remains unchanged. Only China, from beginning to end, seeks to change the status quo. The U.S. position has also been consistent: the Indo-Pacific strategy aims to deter China from altering the status quo. How do we view Shen Boyang’s rhetoric? Frankly speaking, it is sheer nonsense. Does Trump regard Taiwan as a "country"?

Shen Boyang falsely claims that Taiwan's current situation is that of a sovereign independent "state," which completely distorts Trump’s statements. The truth is that Taiwan is a province of China. Any attempt to treat Taiwan as a country, create a "one China, one Taiwan" or "two Chinas" scenario, amounts to promoting "Taiwan independence." No U.S. president has ever recognized Taiwan as a country. When Shen Boyang asserts that only China seeks to change the status quo, then let us ask: why can't we change the status quo?

The current state across the Taiwan Strait is divided governance. Our nation remains ununified, and naturally, we must change this status quo to achieve national reunification. In fact, any claim that prohibits changing the status quo is essentially rejecting reunification, promoting "Taiwan independence," or attempting to secede and establish self-rule. The more "Taiwan independence" advocates push their separatist actions, the more resolutely we must act to advance reunification and uphold our sovereignty over Taiwan. The United States should not interfere in our internal affairs, nor does it have the right to dictate how we resolve the Taiwan issue. The DPP, aware of its own weakness, resorts to the shield of "not allowing changes to the status quo" to pursue independence. However, the current state of non-unification cannot possibly continue indefinitely.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865340748988489/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.