Taipei: China White book show determination to 'invade' Taiwan
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Taiwan officials say that according to the White paper, China is determined to reclaim the island while Chinese FM Wang Yi confirms the doubt as a "historical inevitability."
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Taipei city, the island of Taiwan
Taipei views Beijing's white book on Taiwan as demonstrating its determination to "invade" the island, and rejects the "one country - two systems" approach, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said on Thursday.
In an interview aired on TVBS, Ou said that "The contents of the White Book demonstrate China's determination to militarily invade Taiwan," adding that "We reject the policy of 'one country - two systems.' Taiwan's future should be exclusively determined by the Taiwanese people."
According to the new White Book, if peaceful reunification with Taiwan is unsuccessful, China would resort to force as a "last resort". The book stressed that the domestic affairs of the nation should only be decided by the Chinese themselves and that the issue in Taiwan is a domestic matter of China that affects the interests of the nation in addition to the national sentiments of its citizens. As such, the book noted that no foreign interference will be tolerated.
The Chinese State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office in collaboration with the Information Office, jointly prepared and published, on Wednesday, a document titled "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era" which clarifies Beijing's policy regarding the topic. This is not a first-of-its-kind publication as Beijing regularly publishes papers that serve to outline and clarify issues pertaining to pressing issues.
Following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Taipei, China-Taiwan relations deteriorated given the challenge that US support to Taiwan poses to the One China principle given that NATO, headed by the US, has recently dubbed China a strategic challenge that needs to be contained. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes any direct official foreign contacts with the island.
Pelosi's visit led China to announce ending cooperation with the United States on a number of issues such as climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military talks.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made it clear that China rejects any direct formal foreign connections with Taiwan. Given that the island is part of Chinese territory, then all formal connections must go through China. The use of Taiwan, and the Taiwanese pro-independence forces, as an opportunity to constrain China will end in failure as the reunification of Taiwan with China, is considered a historical inevitability the FM added.
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