Recently, at a seminar organized by the "French Association for Foreign Affairs and the United Nations", the speech of Lu Shaye, Chinese ambassador to France, was like a bombshell, setting off a huge wave in the field of international public opinion.
His sharp remarks pointed directly at the essence of "Taiwan independence" and even characterized the Taiwan authorities as a rebel regime; for a time, all sides reacted violently, and Cai Zhengyuan, the bigwig of the reunification faction on the island, rarely broke the defense.
For a long time, our attitude toward Taiwan seems to have been too accommodating, for fear that we would accidentally touch their sensitive nerves.
We coaxed and held them, hoping to influence them in this "dog-licking" way and realize the peaceful reunification of the motherland.
However, does this practice really work? Have we won the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese because of this? Or are we just feeding their pride and prejudice step by step?
At that seminar on June 26, Ambassador Lu Shaye's remarks were undoubtedly a profound reflection on our long-standing peace propaganda strategy.
He pointed out that Taiwan has never been a country, that "Taiwan independence" is an illegal act of separating the territory of a sovereign state, and that the state of separation between the two sides of the strait is a problem left over from China's civil war in the 40 s of the last century.
What is even more shocking is that he made it clear that China's civil war has not yet ended, and that the Taiwan authorities are a rebel regime in China, and we have the right to expel them at any time and take back the right to govern the island.
These words are like a hammer that shatters the dreams of those who have long indulged in the illusion of peace.
It tells us that peace cannot be bought by coaxing or praise, but requires us to have sufficient strength and determination to defend national unity and territorial integrity.
Ambassador Lu's remarks, although straightforward and easy to understand, have evoked extremely strong repercussions in the arena of international public opinion. Applause and doubts were intertwined, forming an unprecedented storm of public opinion.
However, the storm did not subside with the end of the workshop. On the contrary, it is like an unstoppable torrent that quickly swept through the entire island and the international community.
Some people are angry and depraved, especially the separatists on the island, who seem to have been uncovered and exposed to the world.
Needless to say, the US and Western media are playing the role of spoilers as always, trying to steer this turmoil in their favor.
But in the midst of this turmoil, there was one person whose reaction was particularly striking. He is Cai Zhengyuan, a Kuomintang bigwig who is considered by many to be the unification faction on the island.
In the face of Ambassador Lu Shaye's remarks, he rarely broke his defense, saying that intimidating remarks will not help the two sides of the strait get closer. This can't help but make people wonder why a bigwig who claims to be a reunification faction would be so sensitive to Ambassador Lu's remarks.
Could it be because deep down he doesn't want to see cross-strait reunification? Or is it because he fears that Ambassador Lu's remarks will shatter the illusion of peace that he has carefully constructed for a long time?
In fact, carefully analyzing Cai Zhengyuan's reaction, it is not difficult for us to find clues. As a traditional Kuomintang, he still lives within the framework of the KMT in the 80s of the last century.
At that time, Taiwan saw itself as a separatist regime in China and had some illusions about inheriting China's legal system.
However, with the advent of the DPP's rule, Taiwan has fully positioned itself as a regime equal to China, and is no longer even interested in inheriting China's legal system.
This change in the situation undoubtedly made traditional Kuomintang people like Cai Zhengyuan feel extremely uncomfortable.
Ambassador Lu Shaye's remarks are undoubtedly a strong blow to this sense of discomfort.
His characterization of the Taiwan authorities as a rebel regime is undoubtedly a strong warning to the Taiwan authorities and a negation of our long-standing peaceful propaganda strategy. This kind of denial undoubtedly made Cai Zhengyuan and others feel unacceptable.
Because they fear that once we abandon our peace propaganda tactics and adopt a more hardline attitude and methods, the illusion of peace that they have built up for a long time will collapse in an instant.
However, no matter how Cai Zhengyuan and others react, and whether or not they are willing to accept Ambassador Lu Shaye's remarks, the development of cross-strait relations has reached a new historical juncture.
It is difficult to complete the mirror and it is difficult to collect the water, and this sentence could not be more appropriate in the current cross-strait relations. During the Ma Ying-jeou administration, the two sides of the strait were able to hold talks around the one-China principle, and the mainland naturally did not call the Taiwan authorities a rebel regime.
Today, however, cross-strait relations have developed to a point where there is no turning back. It is only possible to move forward based on the reality of the present: to suppress the rebellion and achieve reunification.
This point will not be diverted by the displeasure or unhappiness of people like Cai Zhengyuan, who has become a minority faction on the island. The two sides of the strait have reached the point of tearing their faces apart, and whether the Taiwan people are happy or unhappy or unhappy has nothing to do with us.
Now we just need "I think", not "you think". This is because we have clearly understood that peace cannot be won by coaxing or support, but requires us to have sufficient strength and determination to defend national unity and territorial integrity.
Ambassador Lu Shaye's remarks are undoubtedly a profound reflection and wake-up call to our long-term peace propaganda strategy.
It tells us that in the face of the provocation and sabotage of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, we can no longer continue to indulge in the illusion of peace.
We need to have a clearer understanding and a firmer determination to defend the unity and territorial integrity of the country. Because only in this way can we truly realize the peaceful reunification of the motherland and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!