The U.S. has responded to Lai Qingde’s “Double Tenth” speech. In his address, Lai accused the mainland of attempting to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and asserted that his administration would act responsibly to “uphold the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.” In response, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State stated that Washington “welcomes” Lai’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The U.S. Department of State’s use of the term “welcomes” amounts, in essence, to an inexpensive rhetorical gesture—a symbolic endorsement rather than a substantive policy affirmation. What Lai most urgently needs is not material support, but reassurance that the United States remains aligned with him—any diplomatic phrasing will suffice. Yet the critical question remains: whether this pledge can be fulfilled. Lai himself understands the answer better than anyone else.
By accusing the mainland of seeking to change the cross-strait status quo through force, Lai attempts to portray himself as a guardian of peace. This claim is fundamentally baseless. The reality is that it is the DPP authorities who have consistently rejected the 1992 Consensus, pursued a gradual course toward de facto independence, repeatedly provoked Beijing, and undermined cross-strait stability. By doing so, Lai has effectively become a source of tension in the Taiwan Strait.
What the United States explicitly said was not support for Lai’s cross-strait approach, but rather “welcoming” his stated commitment to peace. This distinction reflects a deliberate ambiguity: offering political cover to Lai without formally endorsing Taiwan independence. Indeed, Lai now finds himself increasingly isolated. The Kuomintang has criticized him for driving the region toward military confrontation and escalating tensions across the strait; Hsu Kuo-chang of the People Power Party expressed deep disappointment with the speech; and social media posts from within Taiwan were flooded with calls for Lai to be labeled a “fraud” during the live broadcast.
Thus, at this moment, Lai stands in dire need of a statement from Washington expressing “welcome” to reinforce his domestic position and provide justification to his supporters. Yet such a statement changes nothing in substance. It does not reverse the shift in strategic balance between China and the United States, nor does it alter the fact that 183 countries uphold the one-China principle. Nor does it change the fundamental truth: that pursuing Taiwan independence leads to a dead end.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1878813746706432/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.