The Manila Times

China: Use of force to retake Taiwan an option

BEIJING: China reasserted on Wednesday that Taiwan is part of its territory and its aim to have the self-ruling island rejoin the communist mainland by any means, including using force, warning it would not tolerate any opposition to the move.

In its “Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era” white paper, Beijing’s State Council cited the one-China principle embodied in the United Nations General Assembly’s Resolution 2758 in saying the island belonged to China, and the international community acknowledged this.

“We are one China, and Taiwan is part of China. This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law. Taiwan has never been a state; its status as part of China is unalterable,” the paper said.

On complete reunification, the paper said this was “driven by the history and culture of the Chinese nation and determined by the momentum toward and circumstances surrounding our national rejuvenation.”

It accused Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party, its leader Tsai Ingwen and apparent separatist actions of causing tensions between Beijing and Taipei, as well as “endangering peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and undermining the prospects and restricting the space for peaceful reunification.”

These “obstacles” must be removed if reunification is to be peaceful, the paper said.

It also claimed that “external forces have encouraged and instigated provocative actions by the separatist forces,” which intensified tensions and “undermined peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.”

“Relying on external forces will achieve nothing for Taiwan’s separatists, and using Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail. The wheel of history rolls on toward national reunification, and it will not be stopped by any individual or any force,” it said.

According to the paper, the onecountry, two-systems principle is an important key to reunification, which involves recognizing that both the mainland and the island have different social systems and ideologies.

“We are ready to create [a] vast space for peaceful reunification, but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form,” it said.

Although it said the government would exert all efforts to make reunification peaceful, the paper does not rule out using force, adding that this was “to guard against external interference and all separatist activities.”

“Use of force would be the last resort taken under compelling circumstances,” the paper said.

The paper’s release — the first on Taiwan since 2000 — came a week after United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taipei to show her country’s commitment to the East Asian island. The visit enraged Beijing and prompted the two sides to conduct large-scale military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.

The visit also led other countries in the region and their allies to voice concern and call for calm, and the drills of both China and Taiwan have stoked fears of tensions spilling over.

On Tuesday, Taiwan’s top diplomat Joseph Wu accused China of using the exercises as preparation to invade the island and “alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and entire region.”

He told a news conference that Beijing’s strategy would include controlling the East and South China seas through the strait and imposing a blockade to prevent the US and its allies from aiding the island in case of an attack.

China’s exercises were initially expected to end on Sunday, but have continued this week with no confirmation of when they would end.

Asia And Oceania

en-ph

2022-08-11T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-11T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/281951726592321

The Manila Times