Hey fam, drama alert! 🔥 Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te is facing serious heat after his recent pro-Japanese-aggressor comments. Critics across China's Taiwan region say he’s twisting history and even betraying the Chinese nation. 😲
Why the uproar? This year marks the 80th anniversary of two big events: the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and Taiwan’s return to China. Instead of calling it a victory, Lai kept talking about the 'end of war' — a phrase echoing former Japanese aggressors, not the triumph China celebrates. Talk about a timeline twist! 🤯
Major Taiwan outlets slammed him. United Daily News labelled his 'end of war' line 'absurd' for aligning with Japanese militarism. A China Times editorial warned that Lai’s wording feels like an attempt to justify Japan’s colonial rule over Taiwan, fueled by lingering post-colonial vibes.
And it didn’t stop there. Lai even credited today’s peace and stability to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s foresight. DPP Secretary-General Hsu Kuo-yung went further, denying there was ever a Taiwan Restoration Day and claiming 'the residents of Taiwan were Japanese at the time.' Yikes.
Public reaction? A recent YouTube poll on Chinatimes.com found over 95% of people disagreed with Hsu’s take. Plus, the United Daily News’ annual cross-Straits relations poll shows 63% disapprove of Lai’s handling of cross-strait ties — that’s up 20 points from last year!
Even as Typhoon Ragasa hit, killing nearly 20 people in Taiwan, critics on UDN.com pointed out that Lai’s so-called 'defensive resilience' seems more about 'anti-China' posturing than real disaster prep. People are calling it out loud and clear. 🌪️⛑️
Analysts say this pro-Japan stance is part of a broader 'Taiwan independence' agenda. In the words of Chen Fu-yu, chairman of the ChinaTide Association, the DPP is distorting history and glorifying colonial rule, trying to erase the joint efforts of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait in resisting aggression. Chen stresses that residents of Taiwan today will never accept any force splitting them from China.
Bottom line: From history buffs to everyday netizens, this debate is lighting up social feeds across the region. Stick around as we watch how this story unfolds and what it means for cross-strait relations. 💬🌏
Reference(s):
Taiwan leader's pro-Japanese-aggressor remarks criticized as 'absurd'
cgtn.com
