Call Taiwan's New President "Embarrassing", Foreign Minister Wang Yi: No One Can Stop Reunification

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Wang Yi said nothing could stop China from achieving reunification and bringing Taiwan back to its homeland when he criticized the country's president who was sworn in on Monday.

Speaking at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Kazakhstan, Foreign Minister Wang said Taiwan was the "core issue" for China, and independence activity was the most damaging factor in peace in the Taiwan Strait.

"Lai Ching-te's bad actions and others who betrayed their country and ancestors were embarrassing," China's Foreign Ministry quoted Foreign Minister Wang as saying.

The Bamboo Curtain country, which claims Taiwan as its territory, believes Lai is a "secaratist" and rejected its offer of talks.

The Beijing government has generally avoided naming Lai directly since he won the election in January, unlike ahead of a vote where they frequently denounced his name and said the election was an option between war and peace.

No one can stop China from achieving "reunification" and bring Taiwan "back to its homeland," Foreign Minister Wang said.

"All Taiwanese independence separatists will shine to the pillars of shame in history," he added.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said China's coercion practice would not affect Taiwan.

"Political forcing and diplomatic suppression by the Chinese authoritarian government will never change the steadfast beliefs of Taiwanese democracy," he said.

President Lai, like his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, said only the Taiwanese could determine their future, and reject Beijing's claim to sovereignty.

In his inauguration address on Monday, President Lai called on China to stop its military and political threats, saying peace is the only option and Beijing must respect the choice of the Taiwanese people.

He then received a lively applause after reaffirming the Republic of China, the official name of Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China "did not bow to each other", a statement his predecessor Tsai also said.

China views such words as saying China and Taiwan are different countries, a red line for Beijing.

China says every Taiwan move to declare formal independence will form the basis for attacking the island.

It is known, the Government in Taipei said Taiwan had become an independent country, the Republic of China. The Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949, after losing a civil war with communist leader Mao Zedong who founded the People's Republic of China.