Mainland China cannot be our ‘motherland‘, it’s the other way round says Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te

Itis‘impossible’forthePeople'sRepublicofChinatobecomeTaiwan'smotherlandbecauseTaiwanhas older political roots, the island'sPresidentLai Ching-te said on Saturday.

Lai, who took office in May, is condemned by Beijing as a "separatist". He rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying that the island is a country called theRepublicofChina, which traces its origins back to the 1911 revolution that overthrew the last imperial dynasty.

Therepublican government fled toTaiwanin 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists who set up thePeople'sRepublicofChina, which continues to claim the island as its "sacred" territory.

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Speaking at a concert ahead ofTaiwan's national day celebrations on Oct. 10, Lai noted that thePeople'sRepublichad celebrated its 75th anniversary on Oct. 1, and in a few days it would be theRepublicofChina's 113th birthday.

"Therefore, in terms of age, it is absolutely impossible for thePeople'sRepublicofChinato become the 'motherland' of theRepublicofChina's people. On the contrary, theRepublicof Chinamay be themotherlandof the people of thePeople'sRepublicofChinawho are over 75 years old," Lai added, to applause.

"One of the most important meanings of these celebrations is that we must remember that we are a sovereign and independent country," he said.

China'sTaiwanAffairs Office did not answer calls seeking comment outside of office hours.

ChinesePresidentXi Jinping, in a speech on the eve of his country's national day, reiterated his government's view thatTaiwanwas its territory.

Lai, who will give his own keynote national day address on Oct. 10, has needled Beijing before with historical references.

Last month, Lai said that ifChina's claims onTaiwanwere about territorial integrity then it should also take back land from Russia signed over by the last Chinese dynasty in the 19th century.

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