President Lai Ching-te stated in his address on the National Day of the Republic of China in 113 years, “The Republic of China has taken root in Taiwan, and both sides of the strait do not belong to each other, the Chinese Communist Party has no right to represent Taiwan.” He briefly outlined the history of the Republic of China and the current situation in Taiwan, providing a new interpretation of the previous “motherland theory.”
Lai Ching-te’s previous “motherland theory” has sparked widespread international acclaim, making it difficult for the Chinese Communist Party to handle and increasing its threats to Taiwan. Therefore, his statements at the celebration of the 113th National Day of the Republic of China have attracted great international attention.
“113 years ago, a group of idealistic individuals rose up and overthrew the imperial system,” Lai Ching-te said. Their dream was to establish a democratic republic with the people having sovereignty, governance, and enjoyment; their ideal was to create a nation of freedom, equality, and benevolence.
He then mentioned the “Battle of Guningtou” 75 years ago and the “Battle of August 23rd” 66 years ago, stating, “Taiwan defended the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Jinmen, and protected the Republic of China.” The people of Taiwan have experienced a series of democratic movements, finally realizing their desire to be masters of their own destiny.
“The Republic of China has taken root in Taiwan, and it does not belong to the People’s Republic of China (the PRC government),” he emphasized, stating that the PRC government has no right to represent Taiwan. “We have faced challenges time and time again, and the Republic of China has always stood firm, and the people of Taiwan have always been unwavering.”
He said, “Safeguarding the country’s survival and development” and “upholding national sovereignty against infringement and annexation” are the president’s missions, and he expressed the commitment to continue standing shoulder to shoulder with democratic countries, exerting deterrence and ensuring peace through strength.
In his concluding remarks, Lai Ching-te called on everyone to have a common belief, whether they refer to our country as the Republic of China, Taiwan, or the Republic of China Taiwan: “Our determination to defend national sovereignty remains unchanged,” “efforts to maintain the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait remain unchanged,” and “our commitment to protecting our democratic way of life remains unchanged.”
During the speech, he also elaborated on Taiwan’s inclusive stance, expressing hope to jointly bear international responsibilities with the mainland to maintain regional security.
Lai Ching-te had previously called on the Chinese Communist authorities in his inaugural speech on May 20 to acknowledge the existence of the Republic of China and reiterated the “four steadfast principles” proposed during President Tsai Ing-wen’s term, including the aspect of “both sides are not subordinate to each other.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman claimed that Lai Ching-te’s “non-inclusion” and “defending national sovereignty” constitute disguised “Taiwan independence” provocation and warned, “Provoking for independence is a dead end.”
On October 5th, Taiwan held a celebration for the 113th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China. President Lai Ching-te delivered a speech, telling the people of Taiwan that the most important meaning to remember during the festivities is that “we are a sovereign and independent country.”
He mentioned that the CCP regime had just celebrated its 75th birthday on October 1st, while in a few days, the Republic of China would celebrate its 113th birthday. Thus, in terms of age, it is absolutely impossible for the CCP regime to become the motherland of the people of the Republic of China; instead, the Republic of China might be the motherland for people over 75 years old on the Chinese mainland.
Ding Shufan regarded Lai Ching-te’s “motherland theory” as his strategic expression, a “direct confrontation”: directly stating that the Republic of China is 113 years old, older than your CCP regime, and then saying “not subordinate to each other.” This kind of statement has also been a “long-awaited expectation of the Taiwan people.”
Lai Ching-te’s “motherland theory,” similar to the previous “territorial theory,” quickly sparked heated discussions in the Chinese-language public opinion circle, with some Chinese netizens claiming that “the Republic of China has perished” and threatening to “unsheathe the sword and unify Taiwan by force”; while others praised Lai Ching-te saying, “Well said!” and “Clear logic.” A video of Lai Ching-te’s speech was shared on Chinese social media platforms, but it was blocked within an hour.
Ding Shufan said that from Ma Ying-jeou to Tsai Ing-wen, they all spoke of maintaining the status quo. Tsai Ing-wen has mentioned “the Republic of China Taiwan” and “both sides are not subordinate,” but not in a clearer manner. The CCP regime was established in 1949, but the Republic of China has continued to exist in Taiwan. The CCP has always been unwilling to face this reality.
Yah Maochun, director of the Hudson Institute’s China Center, praised Lai Ching-te’s “motherland theory” in a China Insider article on October 8th, stating that although the expression was brief, it was “explosive” in content, “logical, and based on common sense.”
On October 8th, Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, stated that the U.S. “One China” policy has not changed. The U.S. opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo, does not support Taiwan independence, and looks forward to peacefully resolving cross-strait differences; the fundamental interest of the United States lies in maintaining peace and continuous stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Former Japanese Prime Minister and highest advisor of the Liberal Democratic Party, Taro Aso, expressed his congratulations during the “Double Tenth Festival” National Day reception held at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Taiwan on October 8th, stating that Taiwan is an important and friendly “country” close to Japan.
Mitsuo Ohashi, President of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Keiji Furuya, President of the Japan-China Legislators’ Roundtable, and about 50 members of the Japanese parliament from both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors also attended the event.
Taro Aso often speaks frankly on the Taiwan issue. In August of this year, in his capacity as Deputy President of the Liberal Democratic Party, he visited Taiwan and, on the deteriorating security environment in the Taiwan Strait, stated that when Taiwan is attacked, Japan, the U.S., and other like-minded countries need to show a strong determination to defend Taiwan together.
Due to the CCP’s attempts to change the situation in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region by force, the provocations and bullying towards neighboring countries have escalated, leading these countries to unite against the CCP. The US, since shifting its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region, has established multiple international cooperation frameworks with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other countries to counter the CCP.
Ding Shufan said that Japan’s concern about the Taiwan Strait is increasing, and the proportion of Japanese society sympathizing with and supporting Taiwan is also rising. However, Taro Aso’s remarks do not mean that Japan will establish official relations with Taiwan.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a telephone conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on October 9, expressed hopes that Japan strictly adheres to its policy commitments on the Taiwan issue, urging Japan not to support the Lai Ching-te government.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya requested that the Chinese side explain incidents such as military aircraft intruding into Japanese airspace and the stabbing of Japanese schoolchildren, stating that Japan closely monitors recent military movements, including Taiwan activities, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait to the international community.
Taiwan officials revealed on October 7 that the CCP might use President Lai Ching-te’s National Day speech as an excuse to announce the military exercise code-named “Joint Sword-2024B” near Taiwan, applying pressure to force Taiwan to accept its sovereignty claims. According to Taiwanese official intelligence, regardless of what Lai Ching-te says on October 10, the CCP will proceed with the exercise.
Ding Shufan believes that while there may be more CCP military aircraft and warships near Taiwan, they are unlikely to take significant actions against Taiwan.
Executive Yuan of the Republic of China, Su Chih-feng, told the media on October 8, “When the Republic of China celebrates the Double Tenth National Day, does China (the CCP) feel happy?”. He reiterated: “I hope that China (the CCP) will face the fact of the existence of the Republic of China.”
The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China also warned on October 8, stating that the CCP will launch a carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on October 10, passing through Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone towards the western Pacific.
The official Xinhua News Agency confirmed that around 10 pm on October 10, the CCP launched a high-orbit internet satellite.
President Lai Ching-te, during a civil defense training event on September 24, promised to the people of Taiwan, “Taiwan cannot sign a peace agreement,” stating that Taiwan must rely on strength to ensure peace, not on a piece of paper. He expressed the need to “stand shoulder to shoulder with the democratic camp, jointly exerting deterrence power, so that dictators dare not act rashly,” to prepare for war to avoid war, and achieve peace through strength.
In recent years, the CCP has continuously increased diplomatic, political, and military pressures on Taiwan, dispatching military aircraft and warships to Taiwan’s surrounding areas almost daily for “cruise” operations, and conducting large-scale military exercises near Taiwan multiple times. Especially since Lai Ching-te took office, the CCP’s pressure has intensified. Just as Lai Ching-te delivered his speech celebrating the 113th anniversary of the Republic of China, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China stated that in the past 24 hours, 27 instances of CCP military aircraft and 9 warships were spotted near Taiwan.
Ding Shufan revealed that some friends within the Kuomintang party confessed, “Even if the Kuomintang wins the election and takes office, CCP military aircraft and warships will still fly around Taiwan. Therefore, this is not just an issue for the Democratic Progressive Party, but a strategy of the Communist Party towards Taiwan as a whole.”