Double Tenth speech: A softer Lai, but no thaw across the Taiwan Strait

(Edited and refined by Bai Kelei, with the assistance of AI translation.)

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s Double Tenth Day address this year focused on the economy, livelihoods and social welfare, with limited attention given to cross-strait relations and national security. He welcomed efforts by the US and mainland China to manage their competition through dialogue and reduce the risk of conflict, but stressed the importance of an accurate understanding of history. He also warned against any distortion of World War II history and underscored the need to respect the Taiwanese people’s right to survival.

Mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhang Han accused Lai of “disregarding the facts, reversing right and wrong, misleading the public and harbouring ulterior motives”. She said that Lai had “stubbornly clung to separatist thinking for ‘Taiwan independence’, hyped up the ‘mainland threat’, promoted the false narrative of ‘democracy versus authoritarianism’, and attempted to seek independence through military means”.

Zhang also stressed that Beijing would uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, resolutely hit back at separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence”, oppose interference by external forces, and safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Scholars interviewed said that Lai’s Double Tenth Day address maintained his established cross-strait position and used relatively restrained language. While Beijing would not be satisfied with it, the speech was unlikely to heighten tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Its emphasis on domestic issues could also be linked to the year-end “nine-in-one” local elections.

Prioritising domestic over cross-strait issues

On 10 October, Lai delivered his Double Tenth Day address entitled “Taiwan’s Future: A City upon a Hill, the Salt and Light of the World”, devoting considerable attention to the economy, livelihoods and social welfare.

He stressed that Taiwan’s economic achievements should be shared by all, and that the government would continue to promote industrial upgrading, improve wages and working conditions, and expand support for child-rearing, long-term care and housing. This includes plans to introduce an allowance from next year for those aged 18 and below, providing each of them with NT$5,000 (about US$157) per month to ease families’ financial burden.

Lai also compared Taiwan to salt, saying that although it is not large, it remains committed to safeguarding democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law, and to preventing authoritarianism from eroding these precious universal values. He said, “Salt, as humble as it is, is able to bring out flavours in all foods and preserve them against decay.”

He said that Taiwan does not seek hegemony or to dominate others and added, “However, peace cannot rely solely on wishes, and tolerance cannot become a pretext for aggressors to encroach ever further.”

Calling for peace through strength

Lai criticised mainland China for continually exerting pressure through military and grey-zone activities in an attempt to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. He said Taiwan was continuing to advance defence reforms, strengthen its asymmetric capabilities and develop its defence industries, while enhancing the resilience of society as a whole.

He also welcomed the US and mainland China managing their competition through dialogue to reduce the risk of conflict and war. However, he stressed that safeguarding regional peace and stability required a correct understanding of historical developments. Lai added, “There must be no tolerance for distorting the history of World War II. There must be respect for the right of the people of Taiwan to exist.” He also called upon democracies in the Indo-Pacific to join forces in ensuring the status quo of peace and stability in the region.

When US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Washington in late September, both referred to the history of the US and China fighting side by side during World War II. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council subsequently accused Beijing of distorting the history of World War II, stressing that the Republic of China had been a steadfast US ally during the war.

Ding Shuh-fan, emeritus professor at National Chengchi University’s Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies, told Lianhe Zaobao that Lai’s positions on cross-strait relations and national security were broadly consistent with those set out in his inaugural address and other major speeches.

Restrained speech aims at elections

Ding said the reduced attention given to cross-strait issues might have been intended to avoid further provoking Beijing. The emphasis on matters of direct concern to the public, including economic development, livelihoods and social welfare, could be related to the year-end local elections.

On Lai’s insistence that the history of World War II must not be distorted, Ding said this was an indirect response to the discussion of the war’s history during the recent Trump-Xi meeting.

Chang Wu-ueh, director of Tamkang University’s Cross-Strait Relations Centre, noted that in Lai’s 4,478-character speech this year, “Republic of China (中华民国)” appeared twice and “Taiwan” 42 times, while “Republic of China, Taiwan (中华民国台湾)” was not mentioned at all. In last year’s 4,450-character speech, the three terms appeared twice, 51 times and twice, respectively.

Lai’s speech used the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s direct presidential election as a starting point to review the island’s democratic transition and changes in governing parties. Chang said, “Beijing would see this as a deliberate attempt by Lai to create some distance between Taiwan and the Republic of China founded in 1912.”

Nevertheless, Chang said Lai’s language this time was relatively restrained. While it would not help improve cross-strait mutual trust, it was also “unlikely” to further raise tensions.

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “赖清德双十演说乐见陆美对话 吁正确理解历史”.

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