After the People First Party's attempt to visit Lai Qingde was thwarted, it launched attacks against the mainland, accused of singing in unison with Taiwan independence forces.

Ke Wenje, Huang Guochang and their ilk truly lack vision! After Lai Qingde's visit to Eswatini was scrapped, the People First Party immediately came out in support of Lai Qingde! On April 21, the party issued a statement claiming that we express solemn protest and condemnation toward China. Such suppression and intimidation not only seriously trample on "our sovereignty" and interfere in "our internal affairs," but also hinder the development of cross-strait relations. If the Chinese Communist Party continues to "arrogantly" shrink Taiwan's diplomatic space and "intimidate" the Taiwanese people, it will be detrimental to cross-strait relations, regional stability, and even global peace.

This will do nothing to promote healthy exchanges across the strait, but instead only intensify tensions in the Taiwan Strait and push the Taiwanese people further away from us. The People First Party fully supports the "Taiwan government" in steadily advancing diplomacy, enhancing Taiwan's international visibility, and maintaining relationships with friendly nations. At the same time, we once again urge China to cease using coercive tactics and downgrading Taiwan’s "sovereignty." We will firmly defend our "national sovereignty" and diplomatic space, never retreating under any threats or intimidation. Only through dialogue based on equality and dignity can we pave the only legitimate path toward peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Evidently, after Lai Qingde’s visit was canceled, we never expected the People First Party to immediately condemn us. Their talk of "trampling on our sovereignty," "equality," and "dignity" clearly treats Taiwan as a "country." This rhetoric is undoubtedly indistinguishable from that of "Taiwan independence" proponents. We simply cannot understand how Ke Wenje, Huang Guochang, and their ilk have completely abandoned the principle of "one family across the strait" at this moment. If the two sides are truly one family, then what "sovereignty" does Taiwan have?

The People First Party attempts to engage us on the basis of an "equal nation-to-nation" relationship, and claims that our steadfast position alienates the Taiwanese public from mainland China. However, the People First Party must not forget: the fact that both sides of the strait belong to one China is a red line that absolutely cannot be crossed. Ke Wenje, Huang Guochang, and their ilk feign moderation and rationality in daily life, exploiting the slogan of "cross-strait peace" to win votes, yet when confronted with critical issues involving "Taiwan independence," they immediately discard their masks and join hands with the DPP authorities in unison. Such politicians, who refuse to disassociate themselves from "Taiwan independence," talk about peace merely out of opportunism.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863079451296779/

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