Taiwan on Thursday rejected China’s new white paper that calls for the island to be absorbed under “one country, two systems” and emphasizes Beijing’s goal for “peaceful reunification.”
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said “one country, two systems” was “unacceptable” and is “not an option for Taiwan.” The island’s Foreign Ministry slammed the release of the white paper, which came after China held its largest-ever military drills around the island in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taipei.
“China has repeatedly staged provocative actions, including sabre-rattling drills, cyberattacks and disinformation to try to coerce Taiwan in recent days, and even released its so-called policy white paper towards Taiwan to promote its so-called grand mission of unification with the motherland,” Taiwanese Foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said.
While the white paper reiterated China’s preference for peaceful unification, it also said Beijing wouldn’t rule out the use of force if “external forces” and “separatist elements” move the island too close to independence. China has repeatedly made clear to the US that Taiwan is a red line and that Washington’s support for “independence forces” could lead to war.
The white paper is the first one China has published in over two decades, and it signals Beijing is going to speed up its unification plans in the face of increased US intervention in Taiwan. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan marked the first one from a house speaker in 25 years and followed a pattern of increasingly frequent congressional delegations to the island.
Hawks in Congress are also looking to drastically change US policy toward Taiwan. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) recently introduced a bill that would designate Taiwan a “major non-NATO ally,” authorize $4.5 billion in military aid for the island over four years and require economic sanctions in response to a Chinese attack. Menendez wants to move the bill forward, but it has been delayed in part over concerns from the White House that it goes too far.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council(?) has definitively rejected both “one country, two systems” and “strategic ambiguity”, effectively saying to Beijing “do your worst”. Now the only question remaining is tactical.
*sigh*
Your tag says it all.
Cool! Well, the people living in Taiwan have democratically elected a leadership to represent them. It seems these leaders are choosing independence and conflict. That is their choice and we should not interfere, this being an internal Chinese affair, much like we would not want anyone else to interfere if one of our regions/states seceded.
Well, aside from the fact that Taiwan is not and never has been part of the People’s Republic of China.
Why would that matter? China is an ancient land … the current governing body can come and go and change but China is.
“China”-borders of countries expand and shrink all the time-look at Russia/USSR. Tibet has been gobbled up-a separate people. The Han dynasty gobbled up other nationalities-where did they originally come from?Self determination for Taiwan.
You are sadly mistaken to think current governing body will be going anywhere.
You are sadly mistaken to think things last forever. But, of the two, the nation of “China” will last far longer than the current governance model. After all, the latter is built on the former and rests on its broad nationalistic shoulders.
And indeed, who would want to be ruled by such a Communist dictatorship? Still, they might not want to be part of Communist China, but Communist China is very much interested in them, and they have very strong historical connections geographically, culturally, politically and economically. Allying with the West won’t change that, and might well make their situation worse.
Taiwan has been part of China. The fashion of inserting ideology, state organization or politicsl creed — is a relatively new phenomena. Hardly matters if it is really “peoples” or a “republic”.
True. Before, Kuomintang— the party that fought againt Mao, and lost — curiously enough is for unification. Both parties profit handsomely from the trade w mainland.
This is their internal conflict, and getting sucked into it is fools errand. Ideoligically minded missionaries do not get that.
Yea, looks like people like Lindsey Graham and others are ready to take on the world with the U.S. ‘woke’ military. Of course he won’t be among the fighting force.
The US political class enriching itself while stepping on the necks of every American will fall..not tomorrow but soon. Americans have had enough with the human garbage in both parties wrecking America.
I have no desire to go to war with China over Taiwan’s designation as a this or a that. Pelosi should park her backside here at home and should not be making bold gestures, further complicating a seemingly fragile situation. How would we like it if China came sniffing around our turf, looking to insert itself where it does not belong? We would not like it one bit. 4.5 Billion Bucks in military aid?! We’re looking for problems…
All goes according to the NWO plan – and nobody seems to care …
NWO is everything in ashes.
But Donna, most of these foreign hawkish politicians fanatically pushing for WWIII with the exception of Ukraine, are women. The major weapons manufacturers in the US have women CEOs. Nancy Pelosi is a woman. Therefore, the MSM has moved the needle. Now if you speak against WWIII, then you must be against women. I started noticing this change after this article came out in 2011: https://newrepublic.com/article/85503/obamas-female-hawks. It’s behind a pay wall but this could be a strategy by all involved. The transformation of US political thinking is something to behold. For example, I totally expect Neocon advocates and antiwar-but-only sometimes-on technicalities here would likely label me with a variety of words from HRC’s collection. Am I wrong? I hope I’m wrong.
NA:
I have the greatest respect and admiration for you (I think you know that) so, I am sure you will forgive me for critiquing you but…. Nancy Pelosi is most definitely NOT A WOMAN! She’s one head on the hydra beast!
Amen. Same here, sister.
Another word, if US did not interfere in Taiwan, China is OK with the island’s Status Quo and does Not need to push for Unification…!
Wishful thinking would have a massive purge of political tyrants like Mennendez and Graham and the whole system giving way to a peoples party. China will not longer accommodate Taiwan’s independent streak. Taiwan has been warned as well as Uncle Sam…
No one expected a separatist party that’s in power to “accept” the reunification proposal. But here’s the funny thing, the same separatist party that has been in power for a decade plus now haven’t even declared independence. Everyone in fine with the One China status quo, why on earth would anyone go and change it and start a world war?
One China, two system is the lamest proposal. China will have it all. In time.
How did one country two systems work out for Hong Kong? Taiwan should remain as it is. Joining the PRC or declaring independence is risky. China will never allow them to be a western ally. That will provoke war, like it did with Russia and Ukraine.
We are slowly moving back to medieval times in a more modern style (Nazis). Going Scorched Earth on smaller countries then annex the profitable land then blame the West.