Fri, Dec 09, 2022 page3

• Next five years critical to China: expert

  STRATEGIC SHIFT: Instead of focusing on opposing independence, the CCP will work on promoting unification by supporting advocates of maintaining the ‘status quo’

  • By Chen Yu-fu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) considers the next five years critical to its vision of unification with Taiwan, and would largely focus on combating “external forces” to achieve its goal, a China researcher said in Taipei yesterday.

  For the CCP, promoting unification with Taiwan has become more important than opposing independence, and toward that end, it would work on winning over those in Taiwan who advocate maintaining the “status quo,” Chao Chun-shan (趙春山), an honorary professor of China studies at Tamkang University, said at a seminar held by National Chengchi University.

  Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had said that Beijing must take the lead and initiative in issues related to Taiwan, but having seen how US actions interfere with his objective, he has “switched from a defensive position to an offensive one,” Chao said.

  

  Tamkang University China studies honorary professor Chao Chun-shan speaks at a forum in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

  China has a sense of urgency to push for unification, as both Taiwan and the US are to hold presidential elections in 2024, and Xi is to reach the end of his third term in 2027, Chao said.

  The CCP is also aware that changes in external factors would impact the Taiwan-China relationship, he said.

  While the CCP would focus largely on work that promotes unification, it would continue to attack what it views as “separatists,” as its party charter calls for resolutely opposing and containing Taiwanese independence, he added.

  However, the CCP also realizes that this is a less important issue, as no elected Taiwanese politician has advocated independence in many years, Chao said.

  “Even Vice President William Lai (賴清德), who calls himself a ‘pragmatic Taiwan independence worker,’ is unlikely to talk about independence in his campaign if he runs in the next election,” he said.

  Therefore, over the next five years, the CCP would focus on promoting “peace,” cross-strait talks and unification, as well as attacking what it sees as “external forces,” he said.

  “The CCP will cooperate with so-called ‘patriotic unification forces’ in Taiwan to try to win over those who advocate maintaining the ‘status quo,’” he said.

  National Taiwan University researcher Ming Chu-cheng (明居正) said that the CCP is aware that if it would be futile to discuss democracy with Taiwanese, so it would instead emphasize ethnic nationalism.

  The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been fooled by that rhetoric for decades, he said.

  “People often say that Taiwanese should not choose sides between the US and China, but when the US and China confront each other, there is no room for Taiwan not to pick a side,” he added.

  If the US resolutely supports Taiwan, and Taiwan resolutely relies on the US, then a Chinese attack on Taiwan would fail, he said.

  This is why the CCP knows it must drive a wedge between the US and Taiwan, he said.
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