TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) faced criticism this week after comparing cross-strait relations to a corporate acquisition during a YouTube interview Saturday, a metaphor opponents say suggests Taiwan’s sovereignty is negotiable.
In an interview with the channel Mindi World News, Lai accused Beijing of setting unfair prerequisites for dialogue, comparing China’s demand for a “One China” framework to a large company insisting on an acquisition before engaging with a smaller firm, per Newtalk.
The analogy sparked backlash from opposition leaders and even some within Lai’s DPP. KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) accused Lai of implying he might be open to unification under the right conditions.
Former DPP lawmaker Lin Cho-shui (林濁水) also criticized the comparison, per Newtalk. Lin argued that if Lai intended to emphasize Taiwan’s sovereignty, he should have focused on the benefits China would receive from recognizing it. He warned that without further clarification, the analogy could be construed as weakening Taiwan’s position.
TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) took a different angle, accusing Lai of treating Taiwan’s opposition parties with the same dismissiveness he accuses China of showing toward Taipei, per Newtalk. DPP Spokesperson Justin Wu (吳崢) responded by calling Huang’s remarks projections, and emphasized that Lai was demanding acknowledgment of Taiwan’s sovereignty, not offering any form of concession, per Liberty Times.
Amid the political back-and-forth, National Taiwan University Professor Tso Chen-dong (左正東) interpreted Lai’s remarks as indicative of a broader shift in China policy, per ETtoday.
Tso also highlighted recent acknowledgments by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the Cairo and Potsdam Declarations, suggesting they signal a retreat from the DPP’s longstanding ambiguity on Taiwan’s status.
While Lai’s analogy might contrast with his previous hardline stance on China, Tso said it aligns with his broader philosophy of seeking a change to the status quo. He characterized the KMT as defenders of that status quo, arguing that this has made them less responsive to evolving cross-strait dynamics.
Tso urged the opposition to consider Lai’s proposals more constructively and encouraged pro-DPP factions to recognize Taiwan's legal and constitutional framework.
