The Chinese mainland on Wednesday condemned remarks by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te, describing them as "filled with deception and confrontation", and reiterated that his "Taiwan independence" separatist stance remains the main source of tension undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, criticized Lai for upholding the erroneous "Taiwan independence" stance, promoting the fallacies of so-called "sovereign independence" and "mutual non-subordination", and hyping the "mainland threat" narrative. Chen's comments came in response to Lai's speech marking his second anniversary in office.

Chen accused Lai of escalating cross-Strait tensions and pursuing "Taiwan independence" through military buildup and external support, thereby undermining peace and stability. He described Lai as a "destroyer of cross-Strait peace" and a "creator of crisis in the Taiwan Strait".

While Lai claimed to promote cross-Strait dialogue and exchanges, Chen dismissed such statements as "hypocritical" accusing him of misleading the Taiwan public and deceiving international opinion. Chen stated that Lai's actions will face firm opposition from compatriots on both sides of the Strait and the international community, and are destined to fail.

Chen further noted that the Taiwan question is a legacy issue of the Chinese civil war in the 1940s, emphasizing that no elections in Taiwan can change its status as part of China or sever historical and legal ties. He reaffirmed the resolve of all Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, stating that "Taiwan independence" is fundamentally incompatible with peace across the Taiwan Strait.

"We will uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, unite Taiwan compatriots, firmly oppose and counter separatist activities for 'Taiwan independence', and safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Chen said.