Actions That Heighten Tensions in the Taiwan Strait Are Unpopular and Run Counter to Public Sentiment: Chinese Official

Beijing — Peng Qing’en, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council, has accused the administration led by Lai Ching-te in Taiwan of repeatedly exaggerating the so-called “threat from the Chinese mainland.” He said such actions are unnecessarily intensifying confrontation and antagonism across the Taiwan Strait.

Speaking at a regular press briefing on Wednesday, Peng stated that this approach runs counter to the mainstream public opinion on the island of Taiwan. According to him, the majority of Taiwan residents favor peace, development, exchanges, and cooperation. However, he noted that the current authorities’ actions are disregarding this public will and instead fueling tensions.

Peng said, “Activities that go against the public desire for peace and cooperation are unpopular and are ultimately bound to face opposition from the people.”

He made these remarks in reference to a recently publicized case in Taiwan. In the incident, a man surnamed Qiao, who worked for a Taiwan-based airline, was convicted by a local court in a bribery case and sentenced to six months in prison. According to the court, the individual had attempted—on behalf of an intelligence agency from the Chinese mainland—to obtain confidential information related to commissioned research projects from an official of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council.

Peng indicated that using such an incident to view the overall Taiwan–mainland relationship through a “lens of threat” is misguided. He reiterated that dialogue and cooperation, rather than confrontation and mistrust, are in the shared interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The Chinese side’s position is being seen as significant amid the recent rise in political tensions and diplomatic rhetoric in the Taiwan Strait region.