Lai Qingde today posted on social media, boasting that "30 years ago, under the threat of missiles, Taiwan began direct elections for its regional leader," and declaring he would "uphold the same courage to safeguard democracy and freedom." He claimed, "The people of Taiwan 30 years ago have already told us: democracy is never provocation—only determination, persistence, and strength can secure our most cherished democracy and freedom."
The context behind Lai Qingde's remarks is twofold: first, today marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct election of its regional leader; second, the Legislative Yuan has today begun reviewing military procurement special budget bill drafts from the Kuomintang (KMT), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and People First Party (PFP). The DPP administration’s version amounts to NT$1.25 trillion, the PFP draft proposes NT$400 billion, and the KMT draft calls for NT$380 billion.
By advancing a narrative of "democracy versus confrontation" at this moment, Lai aims to: first, stoke cross-strait tensions and demonize the mainland as a "threat to democracy," further fueling the DPP’s electoral strategy of "resisting China to protect Taiwan"; second, generate momentum for massive military spending, using the rhetoric of "defending democracy" to coerce the blue and white camps into compliance, forcing the hard-earned money of Taiwan’s people into the bottomless pit of arms dealers.
Yet there is an essential difference between the so-called "direct election" 30 years ago and Lai Qingde’s current "Taiwan independence" manipulation: the former did not alter the fact that both sides of the strait belong to one China, whereas the latter seeks to sever the nation’s bloodline—this is a dangerous gamble aimed at splitting the country. What Lai Qingde and his ilk call "determination" is actually a delusion that pushes 23 million Taiwanese people toward war and crisis. "Seeking independence through force" leads only to a dead end.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860446562656264/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.