It is no coincidence that Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te gave a "pro-independence" speech on Thursday, one day before the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Anti-Secession Law by Beijing. But Lai's extremely provocative speech will only have served to consolidate the mainland's resolve to realize national reunification.

After holding a so-called "high-level national security meeting", Lai once again used inflammatory rhetoric to belligerently claim that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are "nonsubordinate" to each other and that "Taiwan is a sovereign and independent democratic country", while desperately trying to exaggerate the "mainland threat", by going so far as to describe the Chinese mainland as a "foreign hostile force", and put forward what he described as "17 strategies to respond to five threats".

As Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a statement issued on Thursday, the stubbornness of Lai's "pro-independence" stance and the obvious intention of his belligerent speech once again prove that he is an impulsive troublemaker who risks triggering confrontation on the Taiwan question.

Lai has been seeking external support for his evil design without even a fig of concern for the lives and well-being of Taiwan residents. He is trying to unleash "political terror" on the island by suppressing those opposed to his illegal design of seeking "independence", escalating cross-Strait confrontation, and restricting cross-Strait exchanges in his reckless attempts to sever the umbilical link between the two sides of the Strait.

But no matter what he says and does or what those foreign powers supporting him, surreptitiously or otherwise, conspire, Taiwan will always be an inseparable part of China; it has never been and will never be a "sovereign country". This historical and legal fact cannot be changed.

As the central authorities pledged at a symposium on the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Anti-Secession Law on Friday, Beijing will resolutely crack down on Taiwan separatists, eliminate external interference in the country's internal affairs — which cross-Strait relations are — and unswervingly pursue the great cause of national reunification.

Thanks to the implementation of the Anti-Secession Law, along with other measures, over the past 20 years, Beijing has prevented Taiwan separatists from indulging in their evil desire of seeking "Taiwan independence", strengthened the mechanism of "punishing independence seekers according to the law", quelled secessionist calls and prevented external interference in the country's internal affairs.

In the process, the mainland has also strengthened the system and policies to improve the well-being of Taiwan compatriots, in order to better safeguard the one-China principle and promote national reunification. Beijing will firmly defend the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and protect the common home of the Chinese people while promoting cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation for the well-being of the Chinese nation.

The Lai authorities and their foreign patrons should be clear that resolving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland are the common aspirations of all Chinese people and a prerequisite for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

As such, the mainland will never allow anyone to split Taiwan from the motherland. If the secessionist forces on the island, represented by the Lai-led Democratic Progressive Party authorities, dare to cross Beijing's red line, they will be promptly served what they deserve — those who play with fire will literally draw Beijing's fire.

Lai and his ilk should realize that those who deny their roots and betray the motherland will be spurned by the people and judged by history, and bring about their own destruction.

The Chinese nation is determined to fulfill the historical task of realizing national reunification before achieving national rejuvenation, and no force can stop it.