REALITY CHECK: The Mainland Affairs Council said Beijing should face up to the truth that there are two separate governments on either side of the Taiwan Strait
Taipei Times
Date: Apr 04, 2018
By: Chung Li-hua and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer and Reuters
Premier William Lai (賴清德) yesterday reiterated his position on Taiwanese independence
Premier William Lai speaks at a forum on free speech held by the Ministry of the Interior in Taipei yesterday, ahead of Freedom of Expression Day on Saturday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
and called on China to respect freedom of speech, as Beijing ramped up its rhetoric.
Democracy signifies freedom to express one’s opinion on the direction that the country’s development should take and to advocate Taiwanese independence if they wish to, Lai said.
Free speech is valued all over the world and should therefore be protected in China as well, the premier added.
The latest verbal sparring was prompted by Lai’s comment on Friday at the Legislative Yuan that he was a “Taiwan independence worker” and that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country, sparking a call by the Chinese tabloid Global Times for his prosecution under China’s 2005 “Anti-Secession” Law. [FULL STORY]
