China issued one of its sharpest rebukes of Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on Wednesday, accusing him of “unprincipled foreign pandering” after he praised U.S. President Donald Trump in a radio interview and suggested Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize if he could persuade Xi Jinping to forswear force against Taiwan. The broadside lands two days before Lai’s National Day speech, underscoring rising rhetorical tensions as Taipei reiterates that only its people can decide the island’s future.

Beijing’s Fury Ahead of National Day

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Lai was “spouting nonsense,” accusing him of “bottomless selling out of Taiwan” and “prostituting himself” to foreigners. It warned that attempts to seek independence via foreign backing were “doomed to fail,” likening Lai and pro-independence forces to “ants shaking a tree” destined for the “dustbin of history.”

Lai’s Trump Comment And Deterrence Pitch

In a U.S. conservative radio interview, Lai said Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize if he convinces Xi to permanently renounce force against Taiwan, adding that Trump had previously said Xi would not invade while Trump is in office. Lai also discussed China’s military pressure and pledged higher defense spending, positioning Taiwan as a contributor to regional stability.

APEC Backdrop And Xi–Trump Watch

The exchange comes as attention turns to an expected Xi–Trump meeting at an October regional summit in South Korea, where Taiwan will again participate under the “Chinese Taipei” rubric through an appointed envoy rather than the president. Taipei has re-appointed former economy minister Lin Hsin-i as its APEC representative.

War Games Shadow And Status Quo Claims

China staged war games around Taiwan shortly after last year’s National Day as a warning against “separatist acts,” and Taipei has been tracking People’s Liberation Army activity ahead of this year’s events. Lai reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People’s Republic of China “are not subordinate to each other,” a longstanding position that remains central to cross-strait tensions.