A teacher from Taipei slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's 'hostile external force' remark, saying Lai's separatist position distorts the roots of history, cultural origins, and bloodline of people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
At a press conference last Thursday, Lai portrayed the mainland as a "hostile external force" and outlined 17 strategies to counter the so-called threats facing the island. People from various sectors in Taiwan have expressed strong concerns over his statements, warning such comments could lead to escalated tension and standstill of cross-Strait exchanges.
In an interview with China Media Group, Ou Kuei-chih, a teacher of Taipei First Girls' High School, said, "He (Lai Ching-te) is labeling our fellow compatriots as 'hostile external force.' For those of us with relatives on the mainland, how are we supposed to face our family? Is he trying to replay the tragedy from over forty years ago? My parents' generation lived through that. My parents didn't even know when my grandparents passed away, let alone attend the funerals. Perhaps he's trying to gradually push toward his 'pragmatic Taiwan independence.' But in reality, his idea of 'Taiwan independence' distorts the roots of our history, our cultural origins, and our bloodline," Ou said.
As a school teacher, she expressed concerns about education policies aimed at removing Chinese cultural elements from the curriculum and sowing discord between the compatriots from across the Strait.
"The students are already ignorant of history, indifferent to culture. Now, Lai Ching-te wants them to cut ties with their bloodline too, using political power to pressure these young people to sever their family bonds. I just want to ask, how can he be so cold-hearted? If the mainland is a 'hostile force,' does that mean I can't visit my mother on the mainland anymore? Or my mother can't go back to Taiwan? I want to ask Lai, does he want to cut the bond between a mother and daughter? (If) my mother and I have to turn against each other, how can I face my ancestors? Doesn't Lai Ching-te himself have ancestors to face? I just want to ask: Where is his conscience? Does he want us to keep being stuck in the same old tragedy? I don't want that," she said.
Taipei teacher slams Lai Ching-te's separatist statements
A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday urged Israel to immediately cease all military operations in the Gaza Strip, after Israel resumed large-scale attacks in the war-torn region.
Israel carried out deadly bombardments across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing more than 400 people, as it vowed to intensify attacks if Hamas did not release the hostages still held in the enclave. The surprise airstrikes began overnight amid indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding the next steps of a truce, which could include ending the war and releasing the remaining Israeli hostages. The strikes broke nearly two months of ceasefire and raised fears of fully reigniting the 17-month war.
Speaking at the United Nations (UN) Security Council's open briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations (U.N.), condemned Israel's resumption of attacks on the Gaza Strip.
"China finds it regrettable that the hard-earned ceasefire was shattered. China is gravely concerned over and strongly condemns Israel's resumption of attacks on Gaza. We strongly urge Israel to abandon the logic of supremacy of force. Military means are not the way to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue. The sharp contrast between the 15-month bloody conflict and the 42-day ceasefire has clearly shown that the abuse of force is not the right way to resolve the hostage issue. Instead, it may bring them more danger. China urges Israel to abandon its obsession with the use of force, immediately stop its military operations in Gaza, and stop collective punishment of Gaza civilians. We strongly demand a lasting ceasefire in Gaza," he said.
Fu pointed out that since a ceasefire agreement has been reached, it should be fully implemented with goodwill and seriousness, and the parties concerned should not seek to change or undermine the agreement midway.
China calls on the parties concerned to fully and continuously implement the ceasefire agreement, and expects the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement to uphold a fair and responsible attitude, promote consistent implementation of the three-phase agreement, and ensure a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, he said.
"We strongly oppose any weaponization and politicization of humanitarian aid. As of today, no humanitarian aid has entered Gaza for 17 consecutive days. Desalination plants are also unable to operate due to the loss of power supply, exacerbating the water shortage crisis. Using humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip violates international law, especially international humanitarian law. China condemns the move and urges Israel to fulfill its obligations as an occupying power under international humanitarian law and immediately restore full access to humanitarian aid in Gaza," said the envoy.
Fu stressed that implementation of the two-state solution is the only viable way to resolve the Palestinian issue.
Noting that China also supports the Gaza reconstruction plan initiated by Egypt and other Arab countries, he called on the international community to increase efforts to advance the political process of the two-state solution and provide necessary guarantees for it.
Fu also said that over the past period of time, people have witnessed a dangerous sign in the Middle East -- the international rule of law and international order are violated and undermined, the law of the jungle seems to reign, which is worrying and concerning.
He said that the Security Council should put a prompt end to such chaos, and China supports further actions by the Security Council to bring about a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, restore peace in the Middle East, and achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question.
Chinese envoy urges Israel to immediately cease military operations in Gaza
