Highly unusual: Lai makes no mention of China in major speech

Taiwan's leader does not want to let Beijing say he's escalating cross-strait tensions: Analysts

- Yip Wai Yee

TAIPEI - In a rare move for a major speech, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te did not make any mention of China or cross-strait relations in his May 20 address marking his first anniversary in office.

This is in contrast to his inauguration speech a year ago, when he mentioned China not once but seven times. That speech raised eyebrows; some interpreted it to be pro-independence, as it implied that China and Taiwan are two separate countries.

His predecessor, Ms Tsai Ing-wen, usually referred to China in her speeches as "the other side of the strait" or the "Beijing authorities".

"The way a Taiwan president references China - the specific vocabulary used and the number of times one does so - is always closely watched in a speech like this. So the fact that Lai didn't do so at all now is, in itself, highly unusual," said Associate Professor Chen Shih-min, a political science analyst at National Taiwan University.

Analysts told The Straits Times that Mr Lai, by deliberately steering clear of the subject, is seeking to avoid giving Beijing any further reason to mark him as responsible for escalating cross-strait tensions. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has a particular distrust of Mr Lai - a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty - and has repeatedly labelled him a "troublemaker" and a "dangerous separatist".

Assistant Professor Ma Chun-wei, a political science analyst at New Taipei's Tamkang University, noted that Mr Lai is well aware that Beijing will not be happy no matter what he says.

"So he might as well not mention China at all in a speech that Beijing will certainly pay close attention to. At least Beijing cannot say that he was being provocative in this speech," he told ST.