Editor's note: Zheng Yuli, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate research fellow at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

On January 15, the two-day public hearing by Taiwan's "Legislative Yuan" on the “impeachment case” against the region's leader Lai Ching-te concluded. This event, attended by people from all sectors of society, once again brought the chaotic governance and misconduct of the Lai administration in the spotlight.

Although the possibility of the impeachment motion being ultimately passed is slim due to technicalities, the public opinion and influence exerted by the public hearing have gone far beyond the case itself, becoming a force to demolish the "Taiwan independence" bubble of Lai.

Alienation from public opinion

On December 26, the "Legislative Yuan" passed the impeachment proposal against Lai, jointly initiated by the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP), with 60 votes in favor and 51 against.

At the public hearing, many scholars and members of society came down on a series of acts by Lai, who pursued political self-interest at the expense of people’s wellbeing and eroded the foundation of the rule of law.

They called these acts essentially arbitrary and authoritarian, undermining democracy and the legal system, and reducing "democracy" to a tool for the self-interest of Lai's Democratic Progressive Party.

Lai has not only openly challenged the "legislature" with "executive and judicial powers," setting a pernicious precedent, but also launched a "large-scale recall campaign," attempting to eliminate dissidents. That none of the recall proposals were passed shows his total loss of public support.

Alarmingly, Lai has instrumentalized judicial organs and engaged in "Green terror" on a large scale, attempting to create a chilling effect of "those who oppose the green camp (advocating separatism) shall perish."

On one hand, Lai refers to the mainland as "foreign hostile forces" and has outlined "17 strategies" to counter so-called threats from the mainland. In actuality, they restrict cross-Straits people-to-people and livelihood exchanges, hindering Taiwan residents from applying for and obtaining mainland documents, limiting them from traveling to the mainland for exchanges, and creating the human tragedy of family separation.

On the other hand, to curry favor with the United States, the Lai administration readily accepted the 20 percent high tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration, and increased investment in the U.S. It has also pushed for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC)'s relocation to the U.S., exported high-end technical talents and resources, and drastically raised the defense budget, allocating a special military procurement budget of $40 billion. 

It wantonly squandered funds that could have been used to improve medical care, education and social security to instead gamble for "Taiwan independence."

In December 2025, public dissatisfaction with the Lai administration stood at 52.2 percent, exceeding 50 percent for six consecutive months. An online petition campaign to impeach Lai, launched after the impeachment case started, was signed by over eight million people in a short period. All these expressions of public opinion constitute the strongest condemnation of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

The inevitable end

Under Taiwan's legal framework, an impeachment case can be reviewed only upon a resolution by more than two-thirds of the legislative representatives. Since the combined seats held by the KMT and TPP fall short of the two-thirds threshold, the impeachment case against Lai is unlikely to be passed, making it difficult to impose legal accountability.

But the value of the impeachment case lies in the fact that it demonstrates the orientation of the mainstream public opinion, and serves as a "political trial" of the Lai administration. The fierce accusations at the public hearing send a clear signal: Taiwan residents yearn for peaceful development, they need improvement in their livelihood, not political strife, chaos and war. Such public opinion is forging a powerful momentum against "Taiwan independence" within Taiwan.

If Lai turns a deaf ear to the voices of the people and the trend of history, and continues to cling to the "Taiwan independence" stance, asking external forces such as the United States and Japan to endorse his separatist acts and willingly becoming a pawn for external forces to attack the mainland, he will reap what he sows and pay a heavy price.

Both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China. This is an incontrovertible historical and legal fact, as well as the consensus of the international community. The motherland will be reunified, this irresistible historical trend cannot be halted. Taiwan can ensure a bright future by following the correct path of peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. This is the aspiration of the people and, more importantly, a historical inevitability.

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