Taiwan

Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson Jiang Bin Answers Reporter Questions on the Taiwan Region Leader's '5·20' Speech

国防部新闻发言人蒋斌就台湾地区领导人“5·20”讲话答记者问

PLA Daily (解放军报) 20 May 2026

Summary

MND spokesperson Jiang Bin, responding to Lai Ching-te's May 20 inauguration speech, rejected Lai's framing of cross-strait stability as a Taiwanese strategic goal and characterized his calls for asymmetric capability-building and whole-of-society defense resilience as provocations toward armed conflict rather than deterrence. The statement closes with a direct PLA readiness assertion — 'maintain a high state of readiness, resolutely defeat any reckless act' — which documents Beijing's standard post-inauguration rhetorical posture but also extends the pattern of explicitly linking Lai's defense policy language, not just political statements, to the threshold for military response.

Translation

Reporter: According to reports, Lai Ching-te delivered a speech on May 20, claiming that maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is Taiwan's "strategic goal," clamoring to strengthen asymmetric combat capabilities and enhance "whole-of-society defense resilience (全民防卫韧性)." What is your comment on this?

Jiang Bin: Faced with the inevitable trend of the motherland's reunification and the reality of profound adjustments in the international landscape, Lai Ching-te remains mired in the delusion of "relying on foreign forces to pursue independence (倚外谋独)," flying the banner of so-called "peace" while aggressively peddling the fallacies of "Taiwan independence," inciting "using force to pursue independence and resist reunification (以武谋独拒统)," and vainly attempting to change the fundamental status quo that Taiwan belongs to China. He places his ambitions for pursuing "independence" above the well-being of the people of Taiwan. This is entirely self-deception and a gross miscalculation.

The Lai Ching-te authorities, disregarding the great cause of the nation and the mainstream public opinion of Taiwan's people, are colluding with external forces to pursue "independence" and provoke—this is the root cause of tension and turbulence in the Taiwan Strait situation. Their clinging to the "Taiwan independence" obsession that can never be realized, their increasingly egregious fawning on foreign powers with the hard-earned money of ordinary people, their forcible binding of Taiwan's people to the chariot of "Taiwan independence," and their step-by-step pushing of Taiwan toward the peril of armed conflict and the danger of war—we solemnly warn the Democratic Progressive Party authorities: no matter how much money is spent, no matter how many weapons are bought, it is all a case of a mantis trying to stop a chariot and an egg striking a rock. "Using force to pursue independence" is a dead end. The reunification of the motherland is the only path to a bright future.

The territory of the nation cannot be divided; the people of the nation cannot be separated. "Taiwan independence" and peace in the Taiwan Strait are as incompatible as fire and water. The People's Liberation Army will at all times maintain a high state of readiness, resolutely defeat any reckless act of "Taiwan independence," and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Original Chinese

记者：据报道，赖清德5月20日发表讲话，声称维持台海和平稳定是台湾的“战略目标”，鼓噪强化不对称战力，提升“全民防卫韧性”。请问对此有何评论？蒋斌：面对祖国必然统一的大势和国际格局深刻调整的现实，赖清德依旧沉迷于“倚外谋独”的幻觉，打着所谓“和平”的幌子，大肆兜售“台独”谬论，煽动“以武谋独拒统”，妄图改变台湾属于中国这一根本现状，将谋“独”野心置于台湾民众福祉之上，完全是自欺欺人、打错算盘。赖清德当局罔顾民族大义和台湾主流民意，勾连外部势力谋“独”挑衅，是导致台海局势紧张动荡的根源所在。其固守不可能实现的“台独”执念，变本加厉拿老百姓的血汗钱媚外输诚，强行把台湾民众绑上“台独”战车，一步步把台湾推向兵凶战危的险境。正告民进党当局，砸再多的钱，买再多的武器，都是螳臂当车、以卵击石，“以武谋独”死路一条，祖国统一才是光明大道。国土不可分、民族不可散，“台独”与台海和平水火不容。解放军始终保持高度戒备，坚决挫败任何“台独”妄动，坚决捍卫国家主权和领土完整。