China is not likely to change its policy toward Taiwan after the US presidential election, but it is likely to broaden its tactics to pressure Taiwanese businesses and the public into accepting its “one China” political framework, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said in Taipei yesterday.
Chen made the remarks while presenting a report on “The impact of US presidential results on cross-strait relations” at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee.
While several lawmakers expressed concerns about a Taiwan policy shift under the administration of US president-elect Joe Biden, with some describing Biden as being “China-friendly” and others pointing to Biden’s opposition to a bill to strengthen Taiwan’s security in 1999, Chen told lawmakers that a fundamental change in US support for Taiwan was unlikely.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de , Taipei Times
“Although there might be some changes in Biden’s tactics toward China, there will be no change in the China strategy,” he said.
Taiwan and the US share the same values, he added.
While he does not foresee a change in China’s policy toward Taiwan irrespective of the outcome of the US elections, Beijing could escalate its military intimidation to force Taiwan to accept its unification political agenda, he said.
“It is likely that China will broaden its tactics and step up its propaganda campaign to pressure Taiwan’s businesses and different sectors in society to accept its ‘one China’ political framework and heighten Chinese military actions to pressure us into ‘peace talks’ as part of its ‘united front’ strategy,” Chen said.
“China has made an effort to block US involvement in the region, to undermine Taiwan-US cooperation,” he added. “Some adjustments could come in US-China relations after the election outcome, but Beijing has its fixed agenda for dealing with Taiwan, therefore we must still tread carefully in the coming years.”
He cited Beijing’s release last month of its latest Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, in which it stresses its “one China principle for unification” and deterring Taiwan from declaring independence in its policy section on Taiwan.
“China insists on the option of a military invasion of Taiwan, and [using] provocation and encroachment tactics to undermine cross-strait stability,” Chen said.
Separately, National Security Bureau Director-General Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) was also asked at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee if US policy on Taiwan would be different after a change in administration.
“No matter which political party takes charge of the US government, overall it will keep its policy to contain China, while being friendly with Taiwan,” Chiu said.
“However, Taiwan must rely on itself... We cannot depend on other countries,” he added.
“When a country has a transfer of power, some policies will continue, and some policies will be adjusted. We have no influence over the course and timetable of their government changeover process,” Chiu said.
The one thing that the bureau can take charge of is to keep on monitoring any moves by China, as “the post-US election period is the most treacherous time for cross-strait relations,” he said.
Additional reporting by Jason Pan and Reuters
SHOW OF SUPPORT: As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan might collaborate with Manila against China’s aggressive actions, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday hinted that Taiwan might join forces with the Philippines to protect navigational freedoms, days after Beijing blocked Philippine supply ships in the South China Sea. The ministry made the comment when asked whether Taipei would be willing to join forces with the Philippines to protect the latter from increasingly aggressive activities by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard. Taiwan “is willing to cooperate with any other nation with shared values in areas of common concern, including maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacfic region,” it wrote in a statement. A Chinese
‘LIKE A BLACK HOLE’: The figure is about 7% of China’s reported military spending, although diplomats and experts say that number is often opaque or not fully inclusive China spent about US$15 billion, or 7 percent of its defense budget, on exercises in the western Pacific last year, according to a previously unpublished Taiwanese estimate, showing Beijing’s investment in military activity around Taiwan and its neighbors. The internal research by the military, reviewed by Reuters, offers a rare look into a slice of China’s defense spending as Beijing has ramped up its military presence amid rising tensions in the region. China claims Taiwan as its own and is also locked in disputes with several nations over sovereignty of large parts of the South China Sea and the East China Sea. “This
‘GLOBAL THREAT’: MOFA said that it welcomes the ‘staunch US support’ and that ‘China again made spurious claims about Taiwan that do not accord with reality’ US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stressed the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait, while a senior Chinese military official warned the US to stop “collusion” with Taiwan in a rare one-on-one meeting yesterday, both sides said. Sullivan arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, the first US national security adviser to visit China since 2016, for three days of talks with Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) and other high-ranking officials. Yesterday morning, Sullivan met with Zhang Youxia (張又俠), vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and China’s second-highest-ranking military official, at the Beijing headquarters of the commission.
PRESSURE: The Solomon Islands, acting under explicit instructions from Beijing, is aiming to prevent Taiwan from attending the next forum to be held in Honiara Australia has voiced support for Taiwan despite the Solomon Islands’ plan to undermine Taiwan’s status as an observer at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). The forum is one of the most important international organizations in the Pacific region, made up of 18 member states, including Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan’s Pacific allies, associate members and observers, along with “dialogue partners” such as the US, Japan, Canada and the EU. The 53rd edition of the forum opened in Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, yesterday. Taiwan has been taking part in the forum and related events as a “developmental partner” under the name Taiwan / Republic of