Recent comments by Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te about “removing impurities” through democratic processes have triggered a fierce backlash on the island, with critics accusing him of authoritarian tendencies and attempting to divide Taiwan under the guise of unity.
Delivering the second of his “10 Talks on Uniting the Country” series on Tuesday, Lai described Taiwan’s democratic progress as akin to forging steel. “Hammer after hammer, tempered into steel, all impurities removed – until all that is left is an iron will to defend our sovereignty and safeguard our democracy,” he said.
