China considers the “elimination” of the Republic of China (official name of Taiwan) like a “national cause” for him “rejuvenation” of his people, the Taiwanese president said this Sunday, William Lai (Lai Ching-te), during a military parade in which he encouraged the Armed Forces to “protect” the island.
“The biggest challenge is to confront the strong rise of China, which is destroying the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and see the annexation of Taiwan and elimination of the Republic of China as a national cause for the rejuvenation of his people.”Lai said during celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China Military Academy, commonly known as Whampoa Academy.
During his speech, in which the Minister of Defense was present, Wellington Koothe secretary general of the National Security Council, Joseph Wuand the heads of the three branches of the Armed Forces, the island president urged the cadets to “safeguard the free and democratic constitutional system” from Taiwan.
China claim the Taiwan democratic as part of its territory, and Chinese leaders have stepped up their rhetoric in recent years to suggest that “unification” is “inevitable.” Beijing has also intensified military pressurelast time launching war games that surrounded the island with warplanes and warships days after Lai was sworn in last month.
“We must be able to distinguish between us and the enemy country and between friends and rivalsand in no case accept the doctrine of capitulation of ‘the first battle is the last‘”, Lai asserted, referring to the hypothesis that a first attack by China would cause the immediate surrender of Taiwanese forces.
The president also recalled that The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China “are not subordinate to each other”and insisted that the future of Taiwan must be decided by its 23 million inhabitants.
“Let us work together to defend national sovereignty, safeguard national dignity and bring glory and prosperity to the country.”. As president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, my responsibility is to lead the country, unite the people, jointly protect Taiwan and promote democracy,” he stressed.
At the beginning of his speech, Lai reviewed the history of Whampoa Academyfounded in 1924 in the southern province of Canton by the then nationalist government of Kuomintang (KMT), which currently serves as Taiwan’s main opposition party.
With financial and material support from the Soviet Union, the academy intended to provide optimal training to the military personnel of the newly founded Republic of China, but the political instability caused by the civil war with the Communist Party (CCP), first, and later due to the Japanese invasion of China, it was forced to change its location.
Thus, and after moving to Nanjing (eastern China) in 1928 and Chengdu (center) In 1937, the academy moved permanently to Taiwan after the defeat of the nationalist forces at the hands of the communist troops in the civil war, locating its definitive headquarters in the southern city of Kaohsiung in 1950.
“In the last hundred years, although the historical scenario has changed, we are firmly convinced that Wherever the Republic of China is, there will be the spirit of Whampoa“Lai assured.
Taiwan has been governed autonomously since the end of the war, but China continues to claim sovereignty of the islandwhich he considers a “rebellious province” for whose reunification he has not ruled out the use of force.
China considers Lai a “dangerous separatist” and, before the start of the war games in May, he claimed that his inaugural speech was akin to a “confession of Taiwanese independence.”
Lai had promised in his speech to defend Taiwan’s democracy and freedom, while advocating dialogue with China, broken since 2016.
Like its predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, Lai maintains that Taiwan does not need a formal declaration of independence – a red line for China – since “it is already independent.”
(With information from EFE and AFP)
