Mainland spokesperson slams Lai's rejection of reunification and US arms purchases intention

Whatever false narratives Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te peddles and how many weapons he buys, nothing can change the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, that Taiwan's future rests entirely with all Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots, and that any bid for "Taiwan independence" is bound to end in total failure, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Zhang Han, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to media inquiries regarding the recent fallacies spouted by Lai. Lai claimed to "reject reunification" and asserted that Taiwan's future will be determined only by its own people. He also called the US to expedite the approval of a $14 billion arms sale package, according to media reports. 

There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China -- this is a historical and legal fact that no one can alter or shake, as well as a universal consensus of the international community, Zhang said. 

"Our position of firmly opposing US arms sales to China's Taiwan region is consistent and clear-cut. We urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, and handle the Taiwan question with prudence," the spokesperson added. 

This is not the first time Lai expressed his hope to continue US arms purchases, and in his speech on May 20, he said that he had a responsibility to express the voice of so-called Taiwanese society.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the Lai Ching-te authorities have developed a conditioned response of making every attempt to grab attention, which only time and again revealed their true nature as provocateurs and saboteurs of peace. "Taiwan independence" and cross-Straits peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water. Soliciting external support and pursuing military buildup to seek "Taiwan independence" is doomed to fail.