Taiwan officials say China's lavish tribute to Sun Yat-sen today is pure theater, since Beijing's actual practices run opposite to everything the republic's founder stood for.

• Officials describe Beijing's commemoration as "reverse tribute" — praising Sun Yat-sen in words while rejecting his push for democracy and freedom in practice.
• Sun Yat-sen overthrew imperial rule and championed free speech, free assembly, and rule by the people; China's current system restores many of those old patterns, including no term limits for its leader.
• Officials point out China's 2018 constitutional change scrapping presidential term limits let Xi Jinping stay in power indefinitely, unlike Sun Yat-sen, who voluntarily handed over power in 1912.
• Forming political parties, starting newspapers, and openly criticizing leaders — things Sun Yat-sen's era allowed — are treated as offenses in China today.

Outlook: Expect continued friction between Taiwan and Beijing over who holds the legitimate claim to Sun Yat-sen's legacy, with no sign China will shift toward the freedoms he advocated.