Independence Would Mean War, China Warns the Taiwan Frontrunner
- Beijing says Lai Ching-te used US stop to inspire ‘separatism’
- Lai has been leading polls before 2024 presidential election
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China called Taiwan’s vice president a “troublemaker” whose views risk sparking a conflict, a sign that Lai Ching-te is likely to have testy relations with Beijing if he becomes the island’s next leader.
Lai used a recent stop in the US to encourage “separatism,” Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement late Tuesday. It called a pledge Lai made in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that he would maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait “a complete lie.”