At the May 20 State Council Taiwan Affairs Office press conference, a reporter asked: During the May 14 China-U.S. leaders’ meeting, President Xi Jinping emphasized that the Taiwan issue is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations, and that the U.S. side must handle the Taiwan issue with extreme caution. Could you explain the significance of this?

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in response that the Taiwan issue was one of the important topics of the China-U.S. leaders’ meeting. President Xi emphasized that the Taiwan issue is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. If it is handled well, relations between the two countries can remain generally stable. If it is handled poorly, the two countries could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-U.S. relationship into an extremely dangerous situation. “Taiwan independence” and peace in the Taiwan Strait are fundamentally incompatible. Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common denominator between China and the United States, and the U.S. side must handle the Taiwan issue with extreme caution. This provides the fundamental guidance for our work on Taiwan.

The Taiwan issue is China’s internal affair. The fact that the mainland and Taiwan both belong to one China has existed from ancient times to the present. It is the true status quo in the Taiwan Strait and an important component of the post-World War II international order. Resolving the Taiwan issue and achieving the complete reunification of the country is the common wish of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, and is also in the fundamental interest of the Chinese nation.

The DPP authorities stubbornly adhere to a “Taiwan independence” position and continuously collude with external forces to carry out provocations aimed at seeking “independence.” This is the root cause of trouble and instability undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common denominator between China and the United States. The prerequisite for achieving this is absolutely not to support or indulge “Taiwan independence.” We hope the U.S. side will abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, handle the Taiwan issue with extreme caution, refrain from sending wrong signals to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, and take concrete actions to maintain the stable development of China-U.S. relations as well as peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

At the May 20 State Council Taiwan Affairs Office press conference, a reporter asked: Lai Ching-te has been in office for two years. The latest polls on the island show that Taiwan public dissatisfaction with Lai’s governance is higher than satisfaction, and that 51% of people have no confidence in his future performance. What is your comment?

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in response that the relevant polls fully show that Lai Ching-te’s actions over his two years in office have run counter to the interests and well-being of the Taiwan people and have become increasingly unpopular.

Zhu said the Lai Ching-te authorities stubbornly adhere to a “Taiwan independence” position, aggressively promote separatist fallacies, deliberately obstruct cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, and intensify the creation of “green terror.” Under the banners of so-called “democracy” and “peace,” they fabricate a false narrative of “democracy versus authoritarianism” and incite cross-Strait opposition and confrontation. For the private interests of one party and one individual, they disregard people’s livelihoods and well-being, ignore economic laws, and seek cross-Strait economic and trade “decoupling” and industrial “supply-chain severing.” They abuse the judiciary to suppress and persecute political opponents, and continuously manipulate and provoke political infighting. They ignore the hardships of the public, squander the people’s wealth, flatter and pledge loyalty to external forces, and attempt to “seek independence by relying on external forces” and “seek independence by force.”

Zhu said these retrograde actions by the Lai Ching-te authorities seriously violate mainstream public opinion in Taiwan, which wants peace, development, exchanges, and cooperation. They seriously undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and are pushing Taiwan toward a dangerous situation of war and conflict. This fully exposes their stubborn “Taiwan independence” nature and confirms that they are outright “destroyers of cross-Strait peace,” “creators of crises in the Taiwan Strait,” and “betrayers of Taiwan public opinion.”

“Taiwan independence” is a dead end, and confrontation offers no way out. National reunification is a historical trend that no person or force can stop. We will uphold the one-China principle and the “1992 Consensus,” broadly unite Taiwan compatriots, resolutely combat “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, oppose interference by external forces, promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and advance the great cause of national reunification.

Zhu said she hopes the broad masses of Taiwan compatriots will follow the historical trend, uphold national righteousness, work together with the mainland to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, protect the common homeland of the Chinese nation, and jointly create a bright future of national reunification and national rejuvenation.

At the May 20 State Council Taiwan Affairs Office press conference, a reporter asked: On May 17, Lai Ching-te posted a so-called “five-point statement” on Facebook, claiming that “Taiwan is the maintainer of the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region; the mainland is the root cause of regional instability and changes to the status quo.” He also again promoted ideas such as the two sides of the Strait being “not subordinate to each other.” What is your comment?

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in response that Lai Ching-te’s so-called statement is filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation, paranoia and arrogance. It ignores the international community’s opposition to “Taiwan independence,” deceives itself, and bluffs in an attempt to mislead the Taiwan public and deceive international opinion. This fully exposes his blustering but inwardly weak, cunning, and despicable nature.

Since taking office, Lai Ching-te has stubbornly adhered to a “Taiwan independence” separatist position, clamored about the so-called “mutual non-subordination” of the two sides of the Strait, incited cross-Strait opposition and confrontation, and continuously engaged in provocations aimed at seeking “independence.” He is the destroyer of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the greatest source of chaos undermining peace and stability there. While aggressively promoting “Taiwan independence” separatist fallacies, he also does everything possible to obstruct and undermine cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation. These malicious actions have been firmly opposed by compatriots on both sides of the Strait and by the international community, and are doomed to fail.

There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is part of China. This is the true status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s future can only and must be decided jointly by more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, including the 23 million Taiwan compatriots. No matter what Lai Ching-te says or does, he cannot change the historical and legal fact that Taiwan is part of China’s territory, nor can he block the historical trend that the motherland will ultimately, and inevitably, be reunified.

At the May 20 State Council Taiwan Affairs Office press conference, a reporter asked: The Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism recently announced that Shanghai residents may apply to travel to Kinmen and Matsu. On the 11th, the first group of Shanghai tourists arrived in Kinmen and returned to Shanghai on the 13th. Taiwan media reported that this brought a “spring swallow” for the local tourism industry, and the Kinmen County Government said it plans to hold four rounds of Kinmen tourism promotion events this year and will actively expand the mainland tourism market. What is your comment? What steps will be taken next to better restore and develop cross-Strait tourism exchanges?

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in response that the mainland is pleased to see the resumption of travel by Shanghai residents to Kinmen and Matsu, as well as the positive response from Kinmen. This fully shows the strong expectations of compatriots on both sides of the Strait, especially Kinmen residents, for the normalization of cross-Strait travel and the regularization of exchanges and cooperation.

Zhu said that the mainland is willing to actively promote anything that helps improve the well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Strait and facilitates exchanges. It will take active measures to support and encourage stronger people-to-people interaction and exchanges across the Strait. Taiwan’s relevant authorities should follow public opinion, face up to the calls from Taiwan’s tourism industry and public, lift unreasonable bans and restrictions as soon as possible, and promote the restoration of normal cross-Strait tourism exchanges.

At the May 20 State Council Taiwan Affairs Office press conference, a reporter asked: Taiwan singers including Jay Chou have held concerts in many mainland cities this year, attracting large numbers of fans to travel across cities to attend. In response to the resulting demand for lodging, dining, tourism, and other consumption, local culture and tourism departments have introduced measures to both support the performances and promote local tourism, creating mutual benefits. What is your comment?

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in response that since the beginning of this year, the mainland performance market has continued to see explosive growth. Taiwan entertainers have held solo concerts in multiple mainland cities, attracting fans from both sides of the Strait to travel between cities to attend. Local governments have actively adopted measures to improve traffic management, regulate market prices, and strengthen culture-and-tourism service support. At the same time, they have launched themed tourism routes, issued consumption vouchers, and promoted local cultural and tourism resources, achieving a mutually beneficial outcome in which performances are held safely and orderly while also drawing visitors and increasing local tourism revenue.

Zhu said that the two sides of the Strait share the same roots and origins, and the same cultural lineage. Popular music is one of the most accessible and down-to-earth vehicles for people-to-people exchange across the Strait. We have always supported exchanges and cooperation in culture, performing arts, tourism, and other fields across the Strait, and are pleased to see more warm and popular cross-Strait cultural exchange activities that promote two-way flows of people, consumption, and culture. We welcome Taiwan entertainers to come to the mainland to hold concerts or participate in various cultural performances, and we also welcome fans from the island to make good use of increasingly convenient entry and exit policies for Taiwan compatriots to come to different parts of the mainland to watch cultural performances and experience a vibrant cultural and tourism life.

At the May 20 State Council Taiwan Affairs Office press conference, a reporter asked: The mainland film A Letter to Grandma has recently attracted broad attention on both sides of the Strait. The film’s themes of “deep affection and loyalty” and “family-and-nation sentiment” have resonated strongly with audiences on both sides. What is your comment?

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in response that the film A Letter to Grandma uses overseas Chinese remittance letters as its vehicle, and through delicate and simple cinematography tells the story of a Chaozhou-Shantou overseas Chinese hometown waiting across mountains and seas for more than half a century. The Chaoshan region and Taiwan have many similarities in language and customs. Taiwan audiences who watched the film were especially moved by its extensive use of the Chaoshan dialect, its core themes of honesty, trustworthiness, affection, and loyalty, and its strong family-and-nation sentiment. The word “A-ma” is a shared hometown sound rooted in the common origins of both sides of the Strait; the line “one must be affectionate and loyal in life” reflects the shared cultural root and spirit of people on both sides.

The fact that Taiwan audiences like this film fully shows that compatriots on both sides of the Strait share a common inheritance of Chinese culture and a strong resonance with it. As of the end of May this year, nine Taiwan films have already been released in mainland theaters and have received attention from mainland audiences. We are also pleased to see more Taiwan compatriots pay attention to and watch outstanding mainland films, and we hope that more mainland films can be released in Taiwan, allowing more Taiwan people to deeply experience the rich foundations and innovative development of Chinese culture.

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua stated on the 20th regarding the Taiwan regional leader’s “May 20” speech and the portions of the Q&A concerning cross-Strait relations:

Lai Ching-te’s speech today was filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation. He stubbornly adhered to the erroneous position of “Taiwan independence,” promoted the fallacies of so-called “sovereign independence” and “mutual non-subordination,” exaggerated the “mainland threat,” escalated cross-Strait opposition and confrontation, and deliberately sought “independence by force” and “independence by relying on external forces.” He undermined peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, once again proving that he is an outright “destroyer of cross-Strait peace” and “creator of crises in the Taiwan Strait.” While continuing to advocate “Taiwan independence” separatism and manipulate “anti-China resistance,” he hypocritically claimed to promote cross-Strait dialogue and exchanges in an attempt to mislead the Taiwan public and deceive international opinion. These familiar tactics have been seen through by more and more people in Taiwan. His deceptive behavior and provocative actions will surely face firm opposition from compatriots on both sides of the Strait and the international community, and are doomed to fail.

Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. It has never been a country—not in the past, and absolutely not in the future. The Taiwan question is a legacy of China’s civil war in the 1940s. No matter how elections have been held in the Taiwan region after 1949, or who has been elected, this cannot change Taiwan’s status as part of China, cannot sever the historical and legal connection that both sides of the Strait belong to one China, and cannot break the iron rule that Taiwan’s future can only be decided jointly by all Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots. Defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. We will never allow anyone or any force, under any pretext, to carry out schemes for “Taiwan independence” separatism.

“Taiwan independence” and peace in the Taiwan Strait are fundamentally incompatible, and “Taiwan independence” is the chief culprit undermining peace and stability in the Strait. We will uphold the one-China principle and the “1992 Consensus,” broadly unite Taiwan compatriots, resolutely combat “Taiwan independence” separatism, and safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The great tide of national reunification will ultimately arrive, and inevitably will arrive; it is surging forward and cannot be stopped.

At the May 20 State Council Taiwan Affairs Office press conference, a reporter asked: Taiwan polling shows that among young people aged 20 to 29 on the island, the share leaning toward “Taiwan independence” has declined in recent years, while the share supporting cross-Strait reunification has continued to rise. This shows a trend in which the younger generation increasingly does not identify with “Taiwan independence” and is more inclined to support reunification. What is your comment?

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in response that since coming to power, the DPP authorities have vigorously promoted “Taiwan independence” separatist fallacies, deliberately manipulated “de-Sinicization,” restricted and obstructed cross-Strait exchanges, and created an “information cocoon” in an attempt to deceive and mislead the Taiwan public, especially the younger generation, creating confusion in historical memory and distortion in national identity. Their actions run counter to history and facts, are increasingly unpopular, and are doomed to fail.

Zhu said youth are the hope of the country and the future of the nation. The future of cross-Strait relations rests with young people on both sides of the Strait. More and more Taiwan compatriots, especially young people, are actively participating in cross-Strait exchanges, learning from each other, engaging with each other, and coming to know each other. They increasingly recognize that reunification is the prevailing trend and the path to the future. We welcome and support more young people from both sides of the Strait maintaining frequent exchanges, together strengthening their ambition, backbone, and confidence as Chinese people, and working hand in hand for national reunification and national rejuvenation.

At the May 20 State Council Taiwan Affairs Office press conference, a reporter asked: Foreign media recently reported that Taiwan society is seeing a wave of people applying for “second passports” and moving assets overseas. Some Taiwan media said the DPP authorities have turned fear of war into a tool for electoral mobilization and political struggle, continuously strengthening the “anti-China card” and a sense of “national extinction” to reap political benefits, with the result being a disguised form of “hollowing out Taiwan.” What is your comment?

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in response that the reports show that, under the DPP authorities’ harmful governance of seeking “independence” through provocation, more and more Taiwan people are worried that “Taiwan independence” will trigger war, and that their lives, property, safety, and development rights will not be protected. As a result, they are being forced to consider leaving their homeland and seeking another way out.

Zhu said the DPP authorities place one party’s political interests above the immediate well-being of the public and the interests of industrial development. They constantly manipulate “seeking independence by relying on external forces” and “seeking independence by force,” create war anxiety within Taiwan, and cooperate with external forces to hollow out Taiwan’s advantageous industries. Their actions not only sell out and endanger Taiwan, but also destabilize and harm Taiwan, leaving the island increasingly exposed to the danger of war and its people anxious and unsettled.

Zhu said she hopes the broad masses of Taiwan compatriots will recognize the harmfulness and danger of the DPP authorities’ pursuit of “Taiwan independence,” consciously draw a clear line between themselves and “Taiwan independence” separatist forces and their activities, and work together with the mainland to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, promote cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, and protect the common homeland of the Chinese nation.