The ch?ch thúTaipei 101 skyscraper commands the urban landscape in Taipei, Taiwan. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Chinese mainland slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's "motherland fallacy", saying it exposed his steadfast "pro-independence" stance and his intention to escalate hostility across the Taiwan Strait.

Lai, who took office in May, has sparked global concerns with his "two-state" theory on the mainland and Taiwan, leading to doubts about his ability to stabilize the situation in the Strait, experts from both sides of the Taiwan Strait said.

During a recent event in Taipei, Lai made comments about the concept of "motherland". He claimed that "in terms of age, it is impossible for the People's Republic of China to be the motherland of the people of the Republic of China", adding that "the ROC could be considered the motherland for people aged 75 and above in the PRC".

"If anyone in Taiwan wants to say happy birthday to the PRC, please do not call it the motherland," Lai said, after some Taiwan actors had recently expressed birthday wishes for the PRC.

Those included Taiwan actress Annie Yi, who posted on Weibo expressing her immense honor on Oct 1 after attending the 75th anniversary reception of the PRC in Beijing. She shared her photos and the invitation letter, writing, "My dearest motherland, happy birthday."

Lai's remarks have sparked widespread debate and drawn criticism from various sectors from both sides.

On Tuesday, Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that Lai peddled his "two-state" rhetoric by constantly hyping that the two sides are "not subordinate" to each other, which exposes his stubborn separatist stance and malicious intent to escalate hostility and confrontation across the Strait.

Zhu said that while the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have not been fully reunified, China's sovereignty and territorial integrity have never been severed.

On Oct 1, 1949, the PRC was founded, becoming the successor to the ROC, and the Central People's Government became the only legitimate government of the whole of China. As a natural result, the government of the PRC should enjoy and exercise China's full sovereignty, which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan, Zhu said.

"No matter what kind of 'historical paradox' or weird separatist narrative Lai puts forward, he cannot change the fact that both sides of the Strait belong to one China, and nor can he extinguish the sense of motherland among Taiwan compatriots," she added.

Tang Yonghong, a professor of Taiwan studies at Xiamen University, said that Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party persist in advocating for the "one China, one Taiwan" position in defining cross-Strait relations, and in doing so, they have been attempting to sever the historical and cultural connections between the two sides.

Lai's fallacy on "motherland" clearly stems from his "two-state" theory, and he sought to deceive the people of Taiwan and the international community by using the name of the ROC and aimed to use it to negate United Nations Resolution 2758, which clearly refers to Taiwan as part of China.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, criticized Lai's remarks, saying, "Both the mainland and Taiwan belong to China, and Taiwan people are Chinese. Those who truly love Taiwan would not pursue 'independence'."

Hsiao said that Lai's "two-state" theory has escalated tensions in the Taiwan Strait, leading to widespread international concerns, as highlighted in a report by the International Crisis Group published on Sept 26.

Titled "The Widening Schism across the Taiwan Strait", the report said that Lai's adoption of a more hard-line stance toward the mainland has exacerbated tensions.

Hsiao said the report specifically pointed out that Lai should restore a more cautious and restrained approach in publicly discussing his own position and cross-Strait relations, which reflected international concerns over the instability in the Taiwan Strait and confirmed the widespread skepticism surrounding Lai.

Ma Ying-jeou, a former leader of Taiwan, also criticized Lai's approach to cross-Strait relations, which he said has raised concerns in the international community, in a speech to Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies in late September.

Lai's "pro-independence" stance has raised concerns within the United States political, academic and business circles, leading to "American Institute in Taiwan Chairwoman" Laura Rosenberger visiting the island to express concerns to the DPP authorities.

Ma said the DPP authorities should face reality, emphasizing that no country would sacrifice its own people for Taiwan.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, strongly condemned on Wednesday the recent announcement of the US government's approval of military aid worth approximately $567 million to Taiwan, covering funding for training, anti-armor systems and drones.

The People's Liberation Army will continue to strengthen its combat readiness and enhance its ability to win wars, and resolutely counter separatist activities and external interference, he warned.