ISTANBUL

China on Monday slammed a speech made by Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te on Sunday, saying it revealed Lai's stubborn Taiwan “independence narrative.”

Chen Binhua, a spokesman for China’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks during a news conference, state-backed Xinhua News reported.

“The speech, full of lies and deceptions, deliberately distorted and fragmented history, blatantly peddled the fallacy of ‘Taiwan independence’ and tried to piece together grounds for concocting an ‘independence’ narrative,” Chen Binhua said.

His remarks followed regional leader Lai Ching-te’s speech where he underscored Taipei’s "sovereignty” while refuting China’s claim over the island, according to Focus Taiwan.

Lai had said that a sovereign state is defined by having a permanent population, defined territory, a government, and the ability to engage with other nations—all of which Taiwan meets, despite not being a UN member.

He emphasized that Taiwan, as a sovereign state, is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China, saying: “We are an independent country."

China considers Taiwan as its breakaway province, whereas Taipei insists on its independence.