Beijing has slammed Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te for paying tribute to a former Japanese coloniser in Taiwan.

The denunciation followed Lai’s attendance at a memorial service on May 8 in the city of Tainan, marking the 84th anniversary of the death of Yoichi Hatta, a Japanese engineer responsible for building vital irrigation infrastructure during Taiwan’s colonial period.

Based in Taiwan from 1910 until his death in 1942, Hatta is best known for designing the Chianan Canal and Wushantou Reservoir.

At the event, Lai praised Hatta’s contributions to Taiwanese agriculture and industry.

The “core value” of the engineering achievement was that it strengthened the deep bond between Taiwan and Japan, Lai said, adding that people in Taiwan had upheld the principle of “remembering the source of the water”.