Beijing denounces Taiwan president for ‘prostituting himself’ to Trump

Beijing accused Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te of “prostituting himself” to foreign powers after he praised U.S. President Donald Trump during a recent interview on “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show.” Lai, who is set to deliver his National Day address in Taipei on Friday, told the conservative U.S. radio program that Trump would deserve a Nobel Peace Prize if he could persuade Chinese President Xi Jinping to renounce any military action against Taiwan. In response, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Lai was “squandering the flesh and blood of the people” and “throwing in his lot with foreign forces.”

During the Oct. 7 broadcast of the nationally syndicated radio show, Lai said Trump’s leadership could help reduce tensions if he convinced Beijing to abandon threats of force. “We hope that Taiwan will continue to enjoy the support of President Trump,” he noted. “If he is able to convince Xi Jinping to permanently renounce the use of force against Taiwan, President Trump will surely win the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Lai added that Trump had previously claimed Xi promised not to invade Taiwan while he was in office. The Taiwanese president said renewed dialogue between Washington and Beijing could stabilize the Taiwan Strait and protect the global democratic order. He warned that any military move by China to annex Taiwan would “destroy peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.”

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office dismissed Lai’s comments as “spouting nonsense” and called him a “manufacturer of crises and destroyer of peace.” The statement accused Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party of “unprincipled foreign pandering” and warned that “relying on external forces to seek independence” would lead to failure. Officials said such behavior “endangers Taiwan compatriots” and would “only hasten the island’s downfall.”

The remarks marked one of Beijing’s strongest verbal attacks on Lai since his inauguration in May. Chinese aircraft and naval vessels have conducted regular patrols around Taiwan in recent weeks. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said its forces are maintaining readiness as the island prepares for Friday’s National Day celebrations.

Beijing’s statement on Lai came the same day it urged the European Union not to “challenge” the 1971 United Nations resolution that recognized the People’s Republic of China as the body’s sole representative of China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the resolution formed the “political foundation” for its sovereignty claims and urged the EU to “avoid sending the wrong signals” to Taiwan.

The EU responded that the resolution only shifted representation from Chiang Kai-shek’s government to Beijing and did not define Taiwan’s status. “As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has a special responsibility in upholding the rules-based international order, the United Nations Charter and international law,” the EU spokesperson told Reuters. “This includes the prohibition of the use of force and the maintenance of international peace and security.”