China threatens Taiwan with “retaliation” after the inauguration speech of the new Taiwanese president

China described, on Tuesday May 21, the inauguration speech, delivered on Monday, of the new Taiwanese president, Lai Ching-te, as“confession of Taiwan’s independence” and threatened him with “retaliation”. This speech “can be described as a true confession of Taiwan’s independence”according to a press release from the Chinese Taiwanese Affairs Office released in the evening, evoking “retaliation” future.

Mr. Lai, whom Beijing described as “dangerous separatist” in the past, was sworn in on Monday. He promised to defend democracy there in the face of Chinese threats and called on China to “stop its political and military intimidation”. He also spoke directly about the risk of war after years of increasing pressure from China to bring Taiwan under its control.

Taiwanese separatists “will be pilloried of shame for history”, commented Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday, according to a press release from his ministry. The day before, its spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, declared: “No matter how the internal political situation in Taiwan develops, it will not change the historical and legal fact that the two sides of the strait belong to one and the same China. »