The external affairs authority of Taiwan island on Friday issued a statement, fiercely accusing the Global Times (GT)’ coverage on its leader Joseph Wu’s visit to Europe of being “reduced to faking and lying,” and claiming that the island’s “diplomacy toward Europe” focuses on “underlining the shared values of democracy and freedom.” It blamed the GT’s criticism on Wu’s behavior in Europe as “spreading fake news” and said only the “authoritarian and totalitarian” Chinese mainland can do that.
Who is the liar, the GT or the propaganda forces supported by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority? The latter helped the Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen, Wu and their likes portray the island as a “sovereign and independent country” having gained support from the entire “democratic world” with bright prospects. It asserted that “Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to 23 million people” and that Taiwan is capable of defending itself and residents of the island do not need to worry. The GT, as well as me personally, have repeatedly stressed that “Taiwan independence” is a dead end. A set of old tricks arrogantly played by the DPP authority will backfire. They may trigger war, and no one can rescue them at that time. The trend that Taiwan will reunite with the Chinese mainland is irreversible and cannot be changed. Who is on earth telling the truth, and who is lying and deceiving the people? It’s clear to all.
Wu has been busy with publishing articles, making visits, and working with the US to advocate that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 merely restored the seat of the People’s Republic of China but did not address the question of “Taiwan’s participation.” This has opened up a new front in the struggle between China and the US on the Taiwan question. Inspired by Lithuania’s attempt to use the name “Taiwan” to develop its relations with the island, the DPP authority is trying their best to lure smaller European countries, trying to make breakthroughs.
The Global Times has exposed this deception and has sent warning against them: The further they go on the road of refusing reunification and seeking “independence” and reaching more “achievements,” the closer they approach to the critical point of demise. The DPP hates the GT very much. Its external affairs authority and the “mainland affairs council” have repeatedly and maliciously attacked the GT and slandered me. In my opinion, this indicates what we have done is correct.
When the DPP authority celebrates its “national day” on October 10, they dared not mention the Revolution of 1911, which ended the 2,000 years of imperial rule in China, or revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen. At the end of 2003, I paid a visit to Taiwan. In October that year the Chinese mainland launched its first manned spacecraft, but I found that even some of the influential people on the island had not heard of Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut in space. Not long ago, a “famous TV personality” on the island said on TV that residents on the Chinese mainland could not even afford pickled mustard. Since reform and opening-up, when have people on the Chinese mainland been so ignorant and misinformed about Taiwan?
The DPP authority shows unparalleled arrogance. The political scene on the island today is, after all, temporary, and it is destined to pass by in the historical perspective. Moreover, this period of history surrounding the Taiwan Straits will be written by 1.4 billion Chinese people together. The heresy of the DPP authority will not only be despised by the Chinese people, but will also be forgotten by the world.
The author is editor-in-chief of the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
