Taipei, Beijing spar over Taiwan premier's independence remarks
Taiwan’s government said on Tuesday mainland China was stirring up its media to threaten the self-ruled island after a major state-run newspaper said Beijing should issue an international arrest warrant for Taiwan’s premier for his comments on independence.
Taiwan is one of mainland China’s most sensitive issues. The island is claimed by Beijing as its sacred territory and mainland China has never renounced the use of force to bring under Chinese control what it considers to be a wayward province.
Beijing’s hostility to Taiwan has grown since Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party was elected Taiwanese president in 2016. Beijing fears she wants to push for formal independence, although Tsai says she wants to maintain the status quo and is committed to peace.
After Taiwan Premier William Lai told parliament on Friday that he was a “Taiwan independence worker” and that his position was that Taiwan was a sovereign, independent country, the widely-read Chinese tabloid the Global Times said he should be prosecuted under Beijing’s 2005 Anti-Secession Law.
“If evidence of his crimes are cast iron, then a global wanted notice can be issued for him,” the paper, published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, wrote on Saturday.
