William Lai Ching-te asserted in his inaugural address that the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) and the People’s Republic of China “are not subordinate to each other” and that sovereignty over the island belongs to its 23 million people.

“Some call this land the Republic of China, some call it Taiwan, and some call it Formosa. But no matter what name is used to refer to our nation, we will shine independently,” he said in his speech. 

In response, Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu told a press conference that Lai had put the “Democratic Progressive Party ideology and interests above the national interest.”

Chu expressed concern that the “two-state theory” was being formalized.

Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou (2008-2016), who oversaw the closest rapprochement between Taipei and Beijing since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, said that Lai’s speech “not only failed to respond positively to the ‘one China’ concept, but also positioned cross-strait relations on the basis of the two-state theory.” 

"If the Lai administration believes that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are two countries, it should courageously assume political responsibility and immediately promote a constitutional amendment to fulfill this proposition," the former president, also of the KMT, said on Facebook, adding that only by maintaining the current ROC Constitution “can war be avoided” between communist China and Taiwan.

"I would like to appeal to the people of Taiwan to ask President Lai to put aside his ideology for the well-being of the people of Taiwan and to review the new two-state doctrine, which he openly proclaimed yesterday during his inauguration, so as not to deceive himself and his country," Ma said.

The 23-million-strong territory operates as a sovereign political entity, with its own military and diplomatic corps, though it is not formally independent. Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has warned that any formal declaration of independence would be seen as a declaration of war.

The KMT advocates closer economic cooperation and renewed dialogue with Beijing. Visits to mainland China by party members and dignitaries have been a constant in recent months, with Ma’s recent trip to the southeastern province of Guangdong, the central province of Shaanxi, and the city of Beijing, culminating in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, being the most high-profile.

During his meeting with Ma, Xi said that “no force can separate Taiwan from China” and that the “differences” in the two sides’ political systems “cannot change the fact that the two sides belong to one and the same country.”

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