Lai Ching-te, President of Taiwan, delivering a speech on his second anniversary in office [AP=Yonhap News] 

Lai Ching-te, the pro-US and independence-leaning President of Taiwan, stated in his second-anniversary speech that he is willing to engage in healthy exchanges with China, but will firmly reject united front tactics.

China immediately issued a statement expressing strong opposition.

According to Taiwanese media outlets such as Liberty Times and United Daily News, and China Central Television (CCTV) on the 20th, President Lai made these remarks during a press conference held at the Presidential Office on his second anniversary in office, themed "30 Years of Direct Presidential Election, Pursuing a Brave Future."

President Lai emphasized that 30 years ago, in 1996, in the face of China's missile threats, over 10 million Taiwanese people elected their president through the first direct election, realizing national sovereignty through democratization, and this must continue to be defended.

He stated, "Maintaining the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is Taiwan's strategic goal," and declared Taiwan to be a responsible member of the international community.

He further explained that Taiwan is willing to engage in healthy and orderly exchanges with China based on the principles of equality and dignity.

However, he drew a line by stating, "We firmly reject the united front tactic that disguises unification with peace."

He added that peace cannot rely solely on good intentions, concessions, or illusions, and that "only strength can achieve true peace" through strengthening national power through unity, clear national will, and close cooperation with international democratic partners.

President Lai asserted that he will not give up freedom, sovereignty, and the democratic way of life for peace, dialogue, and stability, calling this Taiwan's bottom line and its clearest stance to the world.

He explained that the government has been strengthening its defense capabilities over the past two years through continuous promotion of defense reforms and enhancement of asymmetric warfare capabilities.

He emphasized that "expanding defense investment is not a provocation, but a means to avoid war and maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region in cooperation with countries with similar ideologies."

This statement targeted the fact that Taiwan's opposition-controlled legislature recently significantly reduced the defense budget by two-thirds. In response, President Lai announced plans to supplement these funds through the creation of special ordinances and the allocation of supplementary budgets.

Mentioning the defense of the free and democratic way of life and economic development, President Lai also stressed that "Taiwan's strength lies not in its population size, but in the free will of its people."

He further urged, "Let us unite for the defense of democracy, the pursuit of peace, and the creation of prosperity," stating that "Taiwan is a beacon leading the world on the path of democracy."

On this day, China's Taiwan Affairs Office, the body responsible for Taiwan affairs, criticized President Lai's two years in office, calling him incompetent in governance and damaging to cross-strait relations.

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the office, stated at a press conference, referring to a recent impeachment vote against President Lai, that he "neglected Taiwan's livelihoods and pursued political self-interest, exacerbating cross-strait confrontation and destroying exchanges and cooperation."

In a separate statement released after the press conference, the office stated, "Lai Ching-te's speech today is full of lies, deception, hostility, and confrontation." It continued, "While instigating Taiwan independence separatism, he hypocritically claims to promote cross-strait dialogue and exchanges, deceiving the Taiwanese people and misleading international public opinion."

It further asserted, "Taiwan has never been a country, not in the past, and will not be in the future," and emphasized, "The motherland will eventually be unified, and the mighty tide of (unification) cannot be stopped."

Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also harshly criticized President Lai at a regular press conference, stating that his "true colors as a 'troublemaker' and 'peace destroyer' have once again been revealed."

Johnny Chiang, Chairman of Taiwan's largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, echoed the criticism, saying, "The biggest destroyers of Taiwan's democracy are the (ruling) Democratic Progressive Party and President Lai."

He also commented on the attitudes regarding Taiwan following Donald Trump's visit to China, stating, "It means that the United States will not send troops to support Taiwan's independence." He added, "Trump's intention is clear, yet the DPP is still pretending not to understand."

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense announced that in the 24 hours preceding the previous day, they had detected 24 Chinese military aircraft, 6 warships, and 3 coast guard vessels in Taiwan's surrounding airspace and waters. Of these, 13 military aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and appeared in the airspace.