Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reported today: "Lai Qingde stated at the press conference marking his first year in office that he is firmly committed to pursuing peace because peace is priceless and there are no winners in war. He also reiterated that as long as equality and dignity, Taiwan is willing to engage in exchanges and cooperation with mainland China."
Lai Qingde, known as the "golden grandson of Taiwan independence," has had a difficult first year in office, with support rates hitting new lows and even the U.S. no longer providing reliable support. The mainland has responded with three rounds of military exercises around Taiwan, leaving Lai Qingde in a state of constant anxiety. Against this backdrop, he suddenly demanded that mainland China propose conditions for unification, stunning outsiders. There are likely two reasons: on one hand, he hopes to use this to divert public attention at home from his incompetent governance and the chaos he has caused in Taiwan; on the other hand, he intends to use this to test the mainland's bottom line and delay the unification process, buying time for the survival of the 'Taiwan independence' forces. But no matter how cleverly he speaks, it cannot change the historical trend of the ever-closer reunification of the two sides of the strait.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832633460493699/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.