Amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a former Taiwanese president who supports unification that the countries “belong” together.
“Differences in systems cannot change the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to the same country and nation,” Xi said.
“External interference cannot stop the historical trend of reunion of the country and family,” Xi said, in comments reported by Taiwanese media and published by Reuters.
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Beijing claims the independent island of Taiwan is a Chinese province and has threatened to use force to achieve unification. China frequently sends warplanes and naval vessels to circle the small island democracy and has been mounting an increasing number of military drills over recent years.
Taiwanese people don’t want the island to be recognized as its own nation though. They benefit from close economic relations with the mainland and so are happy to maintain the status quo. The majority voted against pro independence candidates in recent elections, something this article fails to mention. That of course doesn’t mean Taiwanese people trust the mainland nor do they want to be politically integrated into it. However the situation is more nuanced than many western media outlets would have you believe.
Being reported as Chinese propaganda, but as usual the truth seems to be more nuanced than that…
I will admit, I am not Chinese and my understanding of the deeper issues is imperfect at best, but according to here:
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/taiwan/taiwan-already-independent
The Taiwanese people DEFINITELY do not want Unification, but at the same time, they see an official declaration of statehood as superluous.
It’s not so much that they don’t WANT independence, it’s that, as far as they see it, they already ARE independent, no declaration necessary.
Its nice to have something official and have recognition from the rest of the world and to be able to participate in UN or WHO and as “Taiwan” or even “ROC” instead of “Chinese Taipei” in sport contests.
But there is always a threat of war from China if Taiwan does the above. So no one wants to take that risk and be the one that starts the war, possibly WW3.
Oh, I agree, but I can also see the argument of “We’re already independent!” If it were ME, I would want an official designation from the UN, but like you say, it may be more trouble than it’s worth.
While we sound rabidly pro-Taiwanese, the US diplomatic position on the PRC/ROC is some wild Cold War type shit. Technically, we recognize both claims as claims that both organizations have made and that both organizations have the right to make those claims. Vague as vague can get. The State Department was seriously like “we agree to disagree… with ourselves.”
At some point you have to shit or get off the pot. Either they are part of China or they are not.
Okay and as far as the Taiwanese people are concerned they apparently see that choice as a lose lose situation. Why then does it matter if they prefer the ambiguity of the status quo? Why is it so urgent that they make a choice they clearly don’t want to make?
To me, the Taiwanese people have already silently made that choice of independence. Even if independence isn’t loudly proclaimed, Taiwan is still silently at war with China. Otherwise why spend so much money on war equipment from the US, and why have mandatory military service?
To me, the rest of the world powers, the G7, can jointly recognize Taiwan. At that point China will loudly complain and declare hurt feelings, but they will back off. Because there will be nothing they can do unless they want to become the world enemy.
What do you mean silently made the choice? The Taiwanese people have never really had a say. Taiwan existed under a far right wing dictatorship for decades after the Chinese civil war was left unresolved. Local opposition to the KMT government were massacred. The current democracy is still incredibly young and very flawed. It’s not surprising that they still have militaristic holdovers from the dictatorship. They still operate with the same constitution!
Can a status quo be maintained when the other half of that equation cannot accept it?
I think there actually may be ways cement the status quo under an economic union where Taiwan maintains political independence. The US does not want anything like that to happen and has taken action to prevent it. That in turn has caused the PRC to respond with Xi making statements like this one.
Americans lives are guaranteed to protect them from an invasion.
Either they are part of China and we need to step away or they are a free nation which we defend.
I’ve yet to meet a Taiwanese person who wanted to merge with China. Doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. I just haven’t met one.
They just don’t want declare independence because it means war.