TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday slammed comments by China’s foreign ministry spokesperson that Taiwan did not have a president.

During a news conference Thursday, the spokesperson repeated a long-standing claim by Beijing that Taiwan was part of China, and that therefore it was impossible to speak about a president.

The ridiculous statement not only did not match the objective truth, it showed China once again was trying to mislead the international community, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The ministry expressed strong dissatisfaction with China’s comments.

The statement emphasized that President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) had been elected by the people in January 2024. He received congratulations from Taiwan’s 12 diplomatic allies and from the governments or legislatures of more than 50 countries, praising the country’s democratic achievements.

The ministry emphasized that China’s communist regime had never ruled Taiwan. Taiwan’s future could only be decided by its 23.5 million inhabitants, the ministry said.