Defying the Anti-Secession Law's authority is defying all Chinese people

Editor's note: Zheng Jian, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is deputy director of the Research Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, and a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On March 13, the day before the 20th anniversary of the implementation of China's Anti-Secession Law, Lai Ching-te, the leader of China's Taiwan region, once again arrogantly provoked the Chinese people and sought to rattle peace both in the region and worldwide.

Lai's decision to hold a "security summit" on this day and advocate separatism there, calling it "Taiwan independence," was a blatant provocation.

His remarks were aimed at turning the fraternal relationship between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits into outright hostility. He reiterated his "new two-state theory," which he had first introduced when he took leadership of the region, labeling the Chinese mainland a "foreign hostile force."

He directly attacked the Anti-Secession Law as "military annexation of Taiwan" and condemned the legal measures such as deterrents for all separatists who try to incite secession, falsely describing them as "harming the people in Taiwan."

Building on this, he proposed a series of measures to isolate cross-Straits relations and advance the "Taiwan independence" agenda, aiming to intimidate political opponents domestically, resist the mainland, and pander to the anti-China groups in the West.

His so-called "17 strategies to address five threats" involve "judicial" and "administrative" tactics to terrorize military personnel, civilians, and public figures in the Taiwan region. It is an intensification of the "green terror," akin to the “white terror,” the historical repression the island had suffered at the hands of the Chiang Kai-shek regime in the past. 

Lai's measures seek to block cross-Straits exchanges by framing them as "united front infiltration" from Chinese mainland; obstruct compatriots in Taiwan from pursuing opportunities on Chinese mainland; and suppress youth and entertainers from engaging with the mainland. This is forcible decoupling of cross-Straits economic ties, enforcing compliance through coercion.

Each of these "strategies" violates the Anti-Secession Law and related statutes. Their malicious nature and the severe harm they will cause, if implemented, is unprecedented. They could trigger catastrophic events, including a bid to secede. Moreover, implementation of these "17 strategies" would make peaceful reunification of the Taiwan region with the mainland impossible, thereby necessitating "non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," as stated in Article 8 of the Anti-Secession Law.

Lai's remarks, pushing for "Taiwan independence," make his goal clear: to redefine cross-Straits relations as hostile, posture for total confrontation with the mainland, tighten "green terror" rule, "purge" Taiwan society of pro-unification sentiments, and suppress opposition forces. It also means consolidating his power and paving the way for further secessionist moves.

Simultaneously, he is seeking to escalate tensions to mobilize the "pro-Taiwan" factions in the U.S. and drag Washington into "supporting Taiwan," preempting potential agreements between Washington and Beijing over the Taiwan question.

Lai's actions since his so-called election – his rhetoric, policies, and provocations – have repeatedly proven his obdurate commitment to "Taiwan independence." Actually, they make him a "destroyer of cross-Straits peace" and an "architect of crisis in the Taiwan Straits."

Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are responsible for the unprecedented political chaos and social division in Taiwan today. His recklessness prioritizing partisan gain over public welfare, if unchecked, will drive Taiwan into a spiral of irreversible social fragmentation, secession, and conflict.

History teaches us that the more desperate the provocateurs are, the closer they are to their downfall. Lai and his cohorts will be no exception.

The Chinese are focused on national rejuvenation, and "nothing is more important and more sacred than safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country." This is stated in the May 17 Statement, which was jointly issued by the Office for Taiwan Affairs under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China in 2004.

Unification is integral to this rejuvenation. Every "Taiwan independence" provocation will be met with resolute countermeasures, ensuring that separatists are defeated. Those betting that the mainland will remain restrained despite repeated and bigger provocations are gravely mistaken.

Fortunately, the rational voices in Taiwan are speaking out against Lai's provocations. Together, compatriots across the Taiwan Straits can oppose Lai's destructive agenda, crush separatist adventurism and safeguard peace. Together, they can uphold the Chinese nation's collective interests, and preserve regional and global stability. The Chinese people will triumph in this new struggle.

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