Each time Taiwan separatists make waves they trigger a tsunami against themselves: China Daily editorial

The majority of the international community upholds the one-China principle, and did not send any wrong signals to the new authorities on the island of Taiwan. But as expected, the new Taiwan administrative head Lai Ching-te's inauguration speech in Taipei on Monday has won some "well-done-buddy" praise from a few external powers, which have lauded it for being "pro-peace".

Yet, as these commenders know, that feigned stance is nothing but a superficial veneer. Fundamentally, Lai's speech was riddled with hostility and provocation, lies and deception.

Essentially, it was the most radical "pro-independence" declaration ever made on such an occasion. If it is to be the template for the course the Lai authorities intend to take over the coming years, it will undoubtedly lead the island to the most undesirable situation of all.

It is therefore no surprise that the escalated tensions the speech has triggered have increased the anxiety of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait about a possible conflict. Compared with his predecessor, Lai's approach to pursuing Taiwan "independence" is more barefaced, provocative and dangerous.

While he went to great lengths to try and disguise his "pro-independence" discourse and took great detours to try and straighten out his distorted logic, he nonetheless sought to present the fiction that the island is a country.

Describing the cross-Strait status quo as a "reciprocal" "interstate" situation, he said he would seek to close the island's ranks with "other democratic countries".

Painting black as white, he attributed the rising tensions to Beijing's bullying, coercion and threats, while portraying the island as a victim, a model and a defender.

Lai's duplicity is testament to the support the Democratic Progressive Party has received from Washington for its secession-seeking antics. His speech shows that Lai is gambling on that backing being unbounded.

It is ridiculous that the DPP thinks it can change the reality that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. That is determined by history, and enshrined in international law and a series of binding post-World War II international documents.

Shame on Lai for forgetting that the primary obligation of his new post is to serve the well-being of the Taiwan people, rather than the geopolitical agenda of Washington, which fundamentally conflict with each other.

Being an "elected" leader of the island by no means qualifies Lai to behave in such an unscrupulous manner. He is trying to make the decision on the future of the island that can only be made by the whole Chinese nation.

His ugly show has done one thing. It has exposed the true color of his feathers as a radical secessionist from day one.

Coming straight to his point in this way might be a good thing. It shows there is no point in pinning any hopes on him acting wisely to help deescalate the regional tensions that have built up continuously over the eight years since his secessionist-minded predecessor took power.

Lai should bear in mind that as long as he accepts the mantle of his predecessor's "pro-independence" cause, he will be accountable for the historical debt incurred.

Lai should also be reminded that the several reckless "pro-independence" moves his predecessor took were all invariably rightly and promptly answered, with the mainland accelerating the advances of its national reunification agenda in different spheres, which have all become a fait accompli of the cross-Strait status quo.

Given the extent to which Lai has made clear that he will pursue Taiwan "independence", Beijing can now better concentrate on planning and executing its countermeasures to ensure the Lai authorities are duly, timely and accurately served what they have ordered.

It will only be a matter of time before Lai learns the lesson that the farther and faster he goes in trying to bend the redline on cross-Strait relations, the swifter and tougher the countermeasures will be. The Chinese authorities' resolve to reunify the motherland should never be underestimated.