President Lai Rejects China's Offer of Peaceful Reunification

The Government of China intensified efforts on April 29 and 30, 2026, to persuade Taiwan to accept peaceful reunification, claiming a union would provide the island's economy with unprecedented opportunities and vitality. Chen Binhua of China's Taiwan Affairs Office asserted that combining China's massive market with Taiwan's science and technology strengths would stimulate investment and growth.

Lai Ching-te, President of Taiwan, rejected these claims, stating that only the people of Taiwan can decide their future. He argued that unification packaged as peace would bring endless troubles and called for the enhancement of Taiwan's defense capabilities. Lai further accused Beijing of utilizing grey-zone operations, including military exercises and the deployment of warships and warplanes in the Taiwan Strait, to alter the status quo.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council supported this stance, rebuffing Beijing's economic promises and suggesting that China first address its own internal socio-economic issues, such as high youth unemployment. Despite Beijing's promotion of a one country, two systems model, no major political party in Taiwan supports the proposal.