Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has been delivering a series of speeches titled "10 Talks on Unity," asserting that Taiwan is "of course" a country and challenging China's sovereignty claims by stating China lacks historical and legal proof. These speeches are part of a campaign aimed at rallying Taiwan's 23 million people against perceived threats from China. Beijing has strongly condemned Lai's remarks, labeling them as lies, deception, and provocative acts promoting Taiwan independence. Mainland Chinese officials and state media have accused Lai of separatism, political manipulation, and undermining cross-Strait relations, warning that his rhetoric deepens social divisions and escalates tensions. Meanwhile, Taiwan held an unprecedented recall election on July 26, targeting 24 opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers and the mayor of Hsinchu City, Gao Hongan, accused of being too close to China. The recall effort, supported by Lai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), aimed to regain legislative majority but failed as voters rejected the bid to oust these lawmakers. The results marked a political setback for Lai and the DPP, while strengthening the opposition KMT. The recall election involved nearly one-fifth of Taiwan's Parliament and was the largest of its kind in the island's history. Following the election, Lai urged respect for the results and thanked voters for exercising their civic rights. On the international front, the Trump administration has debated whether to allow Lai's planned stopover in the United States during a diplomatic trip to Latin America, amid concerns that it could jeopardize ongoing trade talks with China and a potential summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Sources indicate that Lai is set to delay the proposed trip, which included the US stopover, due to these diplomatic sensitivities, regional tensions, US tariffs, and restoration efforts following a recent typhoon in Taiwan.