China strongly criticized Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Monday, accusing him of promoting “heresy,” hostility, and provocation following a speech in which he stated that Taiwan is “of course” a country, citing historical and legal grounds. China maintains that Taiwan is an inseparable part of its territory, asserting the island has been part of China since ancient times and does not have the right to statehood. However, President Lai and his administration firmly reject this position and have repeatedly invited China for dialogue—offers that have been ignored. Beijing labels Lai a separatist.

In response to Lai’s remarks on Sunday evening, China's Taiwan Affairs Office accused him of distorting historical facts to advance a pro-independence agenda. They described his speech as a declaration of independence filled with misinformation and provocative rhetoric aimed at escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait. "The falsehoods spread by Lai Ching-te, which go against historical facts, current realities, and legal principles, will be discarded by history," the office stated.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council responded by defending Lai’s comments as factual, stating that China's claims of ancient sovereignty over Taiwan are unfounded and fabricated. It urged Beijing to acknowledge the reality that the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) exists and that the two sides are not subordinate to each other.

Taiwan has operated independently since 1949, when the Republic of China government retreated to the island following its defeat by Mao Zedong's Communist forces. Lai has consistently emphasized that only the people of Taiwan have the right to determine their own future, arguing that since the People’s Republic of China has never governed Taiwan, it has no legitimate claim over it. In recent years, Taiwan has faced increasing political and military pressure from Beijing, including large-scale military exercises.