Taiwan President Lai Ching-te Defends Democracy Against China’s Threats

Taipei [Taiwan], June 24: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has responded to China’s threat to impose the death penalty on advocates of Taiwan independence by emphasizing that democracy is not a crime. Lai stated, “I want to stress that democracy is not a crime, whereas autocracy is.” He argued that China has no right to punish Taiwanese people for their opinions.

Lai explained that, according to China’s logic, not supporting unification equates to supporting Taiwan’s independence. He noted that only the Chinese Unification Promotion Party in Taiwan is not considered pro-independence by China. Lai called for solidarity among Taiwan’s political parties and urged China to accept Taiwan’s existence and engage democratically.

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) also condemned China’s guidelines, describing them as provocative and harmful to cross-strait relations. The MAC stated that Beijing has no jurisdiction over Taiwan and advised Taiwanese residents in China to exercise caution.

Lai also expressed condolences to those affected by deadly rain in southern China and hoped for successful post-disaster reconstruction.