TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan condemned China on Thursday for accusing President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) of being a war monger.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) criticized Lai’s speech at the Ketagalan Forum for promoting a “Taiwan independence” stance and pushing the false narrative of “democracy vs. authoritarianism.” Zhu claimed this exposed his true nature as a “peace disruptor,” “war monger,” and “troublemaker.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the statements were a “malicious distortion of right and wrong” and “a denigration of Taiwan’s sovereign status.” It said the frequent Chinese military activities in the Taiwan Strait escalate cross-strait tensions and are a threat to global security. It is the Chinese government that is the real “troublemaker,” the ministry added. 

It reiterated that the Chinese Communist Party has never ruled Taiwan and only the Taiwanese have the right to decide their future.

Taiwan will defend its sovereignty and continue to strengthen cooperation with democratic partners to counter authoritarian expansion and maintain a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, the ministry commented.