BEIJING, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The failure of the recall vote campaign targeting opposition Kuomintang legislators in Taiwan is a sharp rebuke to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities led by Lai Ching-te, with the public signaling strong dissatisfaction with their secessionist policies.

Since assuming office, Lai has persistently denied the reality that the DPP has failed to secure a majority in Taiwan's leadership election and a majority in the legislative body.

Over the past year, Lai has stubbornly clung to a "Taiwan independence" stance, peddled a dangerous "two states" theory, and rolled out 17 strategies designed to counter so-called threats from the mainland, blatantly ignoring the mounting public discontent about his performance on the island.

This recall campaign is widely perceived as a desperate maneuver orchestrated by the DPP under Lai to reverse its minority status in the legislature.

During the campaign, Lai resorted to his old trick, hyping up so-called threats from the mainland and continuing to smear, intimidate, obstruct and suppress those who support or engage in cross-Strait exchanges.

These actions aimed to instill fear across the island and manipulate public sentiment to secure recall victories.

In response, the Chinese mainland has taken firm countermeasures, while the people on the island have grown increasingly aware of the perils and risks posed by "Taiwan independence."

The results speak volumes -- both rounds of voting failed to pass any recall proposals and the DPP still remains a minority party in the island's legislature.

Through their votes, the people of Taiwan delivered a clear message to Lai's authorities that political manipulation for personal and partisan gain cannot fool the public and that mainstream opinion favors peace, development, exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.

People are also "voting with their feet." Since the mainland exempted Taiwan residents who had never been to the mainland from paying application fees for their travel passes on July 1, applications that month surged 22 percent compared with June, with 72 percent of applicants under the age of 45.

The number of Taiwan residents visiting the mainland for the first time also grew by 33 percent month-on-month in July.

This demonstrates that Taiwan people, particularly younger generations, are increasingly willing to visit the mainland and engage in exchanges, rejecting the DPP authorities' restrictive policies through their actions.

Lai and the DPP authorities must take this recall vote failure as a dire warning, heed the voices of the people, and change their cross-Strait policies, or risk facing stronger backlash from the public. ■