Taiwan's President Urges Party to Oppose China's 'Red Terror'

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has called on members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to stand firm against Beijing's "red terror" and safeguard Taiwan's democratic identity. Speaking at the DPP's annual convention, Lai expressed strong opposition to China's newly enacted Law for the Promotion of Ethnic Unity, which took effect on July 1.

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This pernicious law not only intends to include Taiwan within the scope of 'ethnic work,' expand judicial persecution, and force citizenship into self-censorship, violating Taiwan's sovereignty and national dignity, but it also abusively exercises cross-border repression.

Lai specifically targeted Article 63 of the law, which states that "organizations and individuals outside of China who commit acts that undermine ethnic unity and progress or promote ethnic separatism will be held accountable according to law." Taiwanese academics have voiced concerns that this provision could place citizens of the island at risk, particularly those who frequently travel to mainland China or have business and family ties there.

President Lai characterized the law as a shift in China's "legal warfare" against Taiwan. He argued that it moves beyond simply rejecting independence, as outlined in the 2005 Anti-Secession Law, to a form of "forced unification disguised as ethnic unity." He condemned the law as "pernicious," asserting it aims to bring Taiwan under China's "ethnic work," expand judicial persecution, force self-censorship, and violate Taiwan's sovereignty and national dignity through cross-border repression.

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Taiwan is already a sovereign and independent country, whose constitutional name is the Republic of China, and it and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other.

In response, Lai pledged that the Taiwanese government would establish a robust system with mechanisms for prevention, countermeasures, and protection to ensure the safety of its population. He reiterated Taiwan's status as a sovereign and independent nation, constitutionally named the Republic of China, emphasizing that neither it nor the People's Republic of China are subordinate to each other. Lai concluded by stating that Taiwan's future belongs to its 23 million inhabitants, regardless of their ethnic background or when they arrived on the island.

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Regardless of ethnic group or who arrived first or later, whoever identifies with Taiwan is the owner of the country; Taiwan's future must be decided jointly by all of its 23 million inhabitants.