During an event ahead of Taiwan's "Double Tenth" day or "national" day on Oct 10, Lai made comments about the concept of "motherland." Lai stated that, based on the age of the People's Republic of China which was founded 75 years ago, it could not be considered the motherland for the people of the Republic of China. He added that the ROC could be considered the motherland for people aged 75 and above in the PRC. A Chinese mainland spokeswoman on Tuesday condemned recent remarks by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te, accusing him of exposing his steadfast "pro-independence" stance and escalating hostility across the Taiwan Strait.