According to Taiwan's president, it's unlikely for Communist China to be considered our motherland, given our seniority.
Lai Ching-te, newly in office since May, has consistently faced ire from Beijing due to his advocacy for Taiwan's sovereignty and rejection of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s claims over the island.
Despite never possessing control over Taiwan, China's ruling Communist Party has consistently declared its intention to "reunify" with the self-governing democracy, even if force is required. However, many residents on the island consider themselves distinctly Taiwanese and harbor no interest in being integrated into the People's Republic of China.
Saturday saw Lai delving into history to express his views, emphasizing that Taiwan is already an "autonomous and independent nation" known as the Republic of China (ROC). The ROC was established following a Nationalist revolution that overthrew China's former imperial dynasty, the Qing, in 1912. At that time, Taiwan was under Japanese rule as a colony, which the Qing had ceded after losing a war to Imperial Japan almost two decades prior.
The ROC gained control of Taiwan in 1945 after Japan's defeat in World War II. In 1949, the ROC government moved to Taiwan after losing a civil war against Mao Zedong's Communist forces and relocated the ROC's seat from the mainland to Taipei.
In Beijing, the CCP assumed power, establishing the People's Republic of China (PRC) on October 1, 1949. The two entities have been governed separately ever since.
Chinese leaders have repeatedly affirmed their objective of eventually controlling Taiwan. Xi Jinping, China's most assertive leader in several decades, has heightened rhetoric and aggression against the democratic island, thereby intensifying tension across the strait and sparking concerns for a potential military conflict.
Speaking at a pre-Taiwan National Day concert on October 10, Lai delved into the political histories of both nations to shed light on their differences.
"Recently, our neighbor, the People's Republic of China, celebrated its 75th birthday on October 1. In a few days, the Republic of China will celebrate its 113th birthday," Lai explained, eliciting applause from crowds in a Taipei stadium.
"Therefore, in terms of age, it is physically impossible for the People's Republic of China to become the motherland of the Taiwanese people. Conversely, the Taiwanese people may even serve as the progenitors of citizens of the People's Republic of China aged 75 and above."
China's national day holiday concludes on Monday, with no official response from the Chinese government regarding Lai's remarks.
However, criticism has flowed in from Taiwan's largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), which has long accused Lai's Democratic Progressive Party of recklessly escalating tensions with China.
"President Lai purposefully invoked the 'People's Republic of China' and his 'motherland theory' to provoke political conflict on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," Ling Tao, a KMT city councilor, wrote in a Facebook post.
The KMT holds the political mantle of the Nationalists who retreated to Taiwan, ruled under martial law for many years and harbored aspirations to eventually restore the ROC on the mainland. They later adjusted to Taiwan's transformation into a democracy and have undergone significant ideological shifts, including an inclination towards closer ties with Communist China.
Political leaders in both Taipei and Beijing often use their national day speeches to communicate across the Taiwan Strait.
Last week, on the eve of the PRC's 75th birthday, Xi reaffirmed his commitment to "reunification" with Taiwan.
"It's an inevitable tide, a just cause and the shared aspiration of the people. No one can thwart the momentum of history," Xi told a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, as per state-run news agency Xinhua.
"Taiwan belongs to China. Blood is thicker than water, and the people on both sides of the strait share a common ancestry," he declared, reaffirming his intention to staunchly oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist activities.
Beijing has branded Lai a "dangerous separatist," and tensions have surged over the past five months since Lai's inauguration in May, during which he urged China to cease its intimidation of Taiwan.
Lai is anticipated to deliver his first national day address as Taiwan's president on Thursday.
The People's Republic of China (PRC), established in 1949 after the Communist revolution, has its origins on the Chinese mainland, while Taiwan was under Japanese rule until 1945 and then became a part of the Republic of China (ROC) after World War II.
Despite China's assertions over Taiwan's sovereignty, many people on the island view themselves as distinctly Taiwanese and have no interest in being integrated into the PRC, which is a key point of contention in the ongoing political tensions between Asia and the world.
