Lai's poor handling of Danas contrasts with his 'unity' rhetoric

Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.

As typhoon Danas ravaged China's Taiwan region this month, causing loss of life, widespread power outages, and severe infrastructure damage, the expected response from Taiwan's leader Lai Ching-te was regrettably absent.

Instead of mobilizing all available resources to alleviate the suffering of millions and lead a robust recovery effort, Lai has been preoccupied – promoting the so-called "10 lectures on unity." This glaring contradiction between political posturing and inaction highlights a serious leadership failure and raises questions about the sincerity of his so-called efforts to "unify" the people.

Typhoon Danas dealt a heavy blow to Taiwan, leaving thousands stranded without electricity and disrupting daily life across multiple regions. In such moments, effective leadership requires swift decision-making, efficient coordination among agencies, and clear communication with the public. Unfortunately, Lai has been widely criticized for slow disaster response, insufficient deployment of emergency personnel, and a failure to prioritize the urgent needs of affected residents.

Lai's handling of the disaster is less assistance and more an abdication of responsibility. Despite residents' calls for relief, Lai, however, was quick to evade responsibility by pushing the narrative that communities must "self-rely" to cope with the crisis. "Lai is more willing to make a show of unity than helping us to clean the water pipes. He is coldblooded," said a Taiwan netizen slamming Lai on social media platforms. 

The timing of Lai's so-called "10 lectures on unity" is especially egregious. While disaster recovery demanded resources, Lai chose to focus public attention on politically charged speeches emphasizing abstract concepts like "constitutional identity." Yet these lectures conspicuously avoided addressing Taiwan's critical, immediate challenges: restoring power, rebuilding infrastructure, and healing a population scarred by destruction.

Lai's so-called "unity" is a facade. His narrative is a blatant attempt to stir up hostile sentiments towards the Chinese mainland – under the guise of "unity." For Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party, selfish political pursuit is prioritized at the expense of public safety and welfare. Lai's brand of "unity" is alienating large segments of Taiwan society and fomenting international misunderstanding, escalating regional tensions that further imperil stability and prosperity.

Lai's "lectures" are filled with lies and deception, hostility and provocation, deliberately distorting history in an attempt to incite cross-Strait confrontation, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. He added that the "lectures fully prove that Lai is a thorough destroyer of peace and an out-and-out warmonger."

Taiwan people want assistance, not hollow slogans. Every minute wasted on political theater translates directly into prolonged hardship and loss for affected families. Lai's refusal to set aside partisan ambition for the sake of urgent disaster response casts serious doubt on his capacity and willingness to serve Taiwan people above all else.

Far from fostering reconciliation or collective resilience, Lai's "unity" rhetoric risks inflaming division at a time when solidarity could save lives and safeguard livelihoods. True unity requires bridging differences, not exploiting them as political capital.

The ongoing ordeal wrought by typhoon Danas offers a test not just of meteorological resilience but of political integrity. Lai's priorities during this moment of need fell far short of what Taiwan people deserve. The contrast between Lai's inaction in disaster relief and his self-serving "unity lectures" reflects a leadership more concerned with separatist ambitions than its people.

If Lai is sincere about unity, mobilizing resources to save people from typhoon Danas is perhaps the first step.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)