The Republic of China (ROC) government, led by the KMT, fled to Taiwan in 1949 without a peace treaty ending the war. Lu Shaye recently stated that Taiwan is a rebel regime within China’s territory and the Chinese government has the right to reclaim governance at any time. This comes as tensions between Beijing and Taipei rise since William Lai Ching-te took office. Lai has emphasized Taiwan’s independence from China, which Lu opposes.
Lu also accused the US of increasing cross-strait tensions by supporting the DPP authorities in Taiwan. Despite this, he expressed a preference for peaceful reunification for the well-being of the Taiwanese people. Lu’s remarks were made during a symposium in France marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Paris.
He urged France to oppose Taiwan independence and support peaceful reunification with China. Lu also defended China’s trade with Russia amid the EU’s warnings about the invasion of Ukraine impacting bilateral ties. He pushed back against Brussels’ planned tariff hikes on Chinese-made electric vehicles.