Taiwan, mainland experts slam Lai's secessionist address

Taiwan media practitioners and Chinese mainland experts have slammed the Oct. 10 speech by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te, as it once again disregarded historical facts, stubbornly clinging to the "Taiwan secession" stance by packaging the Taiwan question as an international issue. Although Lai did not explicitly use the phrase "[the two side are] not subordinate to each other" in discussing cross-Strait relations in his address on Oct. 10 this year, Taiwan media analysts noted that his "Taiwan independence" stance remains unchanged.

Lai continued his "democracy versus authoritarianism" narrative in a more subtle and deceptive way to cloak his true intent of seeking independence by relying on external forces, according to Taiwan media practitioners.

"The series of meetings between the Chinese and U.S. heads of state, from May to September of this year, has shaped a new dynamic and injected fresh momentum to profoundly influencing the broader landscape of U.S. policy toward Taiwan and the situation across the Taiwan Strait. The Lai administration has to carefully digest and interpret these signals, and make the necessary adjustments accordingly. Unable to successfully restore dialogue with the mainland, and unwilling to rectify its distorted view of World War II history to confront the reality that Taiwan has been restored to China [from Japanese colonial rule], the Lai administration is left with only one path forward: repeatedly seeking to prove its loyalty and alignment to the United States," said Xu Heqian, a Media professional from Taiwan and senior editor for international news at Caixin Media.

Lai's distortion of World War II history has also sparked controversy in Taiwan, according to Xu.

"For China, the most significant outcome of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945) was the restoration of Taiwan and the recovery of all other Chinese territories that had fallen under Japanese occupation, including those in the Northeast. Yet since taking office, Lai has rejected the historical perspective of Taiwan's restoration, denying the fact that the island has already returned to China. At the same time, when the leaders of China and the United States, along with insightful people of both countries, jointly commemorate historical feats such as the Flying Tigers and their aid to China, the joint opening of the Hump Route by China and the United States, and the Gung-Ho spirit, the Lai administration is very eager to seek a sense of presence in all of these. They even attempt to seize the narrative regarding the War of Resistance, a stance that appears to be quite self-contradictory," said Xu.

Mainland experts also pointed out that soliciting external support for "Taiwan independence" has long been a dead end, and that the one-China principle is a prevailing international consensus.

"In the past, the Taiwan authorities could rely on so-called overseas forces or external interference, particularly the United States, but in recent years these backers have been gradually stepping back. I believe the Taiwan authorities are fully aware of this, but they simply dare not tell the truth to their own people. The one-China principle has long been a firmly established international consensus, which the 'Taiwan independence' forces alone are simply unable to challenge or undermine at all," said Xin Qiang, director of the Center for Taiwan Studies at Shanghai-based Fudan University.

Taiwan, mainland experts slam Lai's secessionist address

A Pakistani scholar has stressed the importance of dialogue in resolving the conflict between the United States and Iran, as the two sides remain deadlocked over access to the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program.

In recent months, Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran, pushing diplomacy as a path to ending the conflict.

In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Rabia Akhtar, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Lahore, affirmed Pakistan's role as a mediator but stressed that whether an agreement is reached and implemented ultimately rests with the two countries.

"Pakistan's role is valuable because keeping a channel open gives the parties somewhere to take those agreements. A mediator can clarify a proposal, explore a sequence of reciprocal steps, and help each side understand what the other might accept. But a mediator cannot make the commitments on their behalf. Ultimately, Washington and Tehran have to decide that an agreement serves their interests and that they are prepared to implement it," she said.

Throughout the conflict, she noted, leaders have publicly deployed strong rhetoric against the other side. Akhtar called on both parties to withdraw from such practices, as they make reaching an agreement all the more difficult.

"There's also the domestic political problem. If you have told your public that anything short of the other side's surrender will be a defeat, you have made your own diplomacy much harder. Leaders need room to explain that a negotiated outcome can protect national interest. And quiet diplomacy helps because it allows options to be explored before every proposal becomes a public test of resolve," she said.

As the need for dialogue over conflict grows, Akhtar highlighted the potential role of China's Global Security Initiative (GSI), which focuses on addressing the world's growing security challenges through cooperation, dialogue, and shared responsibility, and offers a framework for managing crises.

"So for me, the GSI's emphasis on dialogue is relevant to what happens between crises as well as during them. So we need communication that survives political disagreements and commitments, that gives both sides a reason to exercise restraint. We cannot simply wait for trust to appear before we start talking. We have to use dialogue to establish whether commitments can be tested and whether restraint can be reciprocated," the scholar said.

Dialogue essential to resolving US-Iran deadlock: Pakistani scholar