Mainland condemns Taiwan leader's remarks at 'democracy summit'

A Chinese mainland spokeswoman on Wednesday condemned Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te for "engaging in deception under the guise of democracy" and using a so-called summit to incite confrontation across the Taiwan Strait.

Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a regular news conference in response to comments Lai delivered via video message at a "democracy summit" held in Copenhagen on Tuesday.

Zhang reiterated that Taiwan is part of China, describing it as an undeniable historical and legal fact. She stressed that "Taiwan has never been a state and never will be".

"No matter how many times Lai repeats his lies, they remain lies and will never become truth," she said.

During the event, Lai claimed that "Taiwan is an independent state" and promoted the narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism".

Zhang accused Lai of using "democracy" as a pretext to mislead the international community while courting anti-China forces in certain countries. She said the so-called summit was being used to spread the false narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism", incite cross-Strait hostility and advance separatist activities aimed at splitting the country.

She described Lai's actions as "a complete political farce" that would only draw condemnation from all Chinese people.

She added that Lai's "clumsy performance" could not conceal the administration's authoritarian nature, including suppressing political opponents and restricting freedom of speech on the island.

"'Democracy' is merely a pretense, while seeking 'Taiwan independence' is the real objective," Zhang said.

Zhang also reaffirmed that the mainland's determination to oppose "Taiwan independence" is "as firm as a rock" and that its ability to thwart separatist attempts is "unshakable".

She urged relevant foreign institutions to fully recognize the sensitivity of the Taiwan question and the serious consequences of supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist activities. Zhang also called on them to abide by the one-China principle and stop providing platforms or support for the Democratic Progressive Party authorities' attempts to pursue "independence" internationally.