Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 16: As the Chinese president Xi Jinping threatened that China has kept the option to use force against Taiwan open even when it would strive for “peaceful resolution,” Taiwan quickly responded promising that it will not back down on its sovereignty or compromise on freedom and democracy.
“It is up to the Chinese people to resolve the Taiwan issue and China will never renounce the right to use force but will strive for a peaceful resolution,” President Xi Jinping said on Sunday as he kicked-off the week-long 20th congress of China’s ruling Communist Party. Despite some hoardings coming up at street corners in Beijing against him, Jinping is still widely expected to be renewed for a third term and cement his place as the country’s most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong.
The gathering of roughly 2,300 delegates from around the country began in the vast Great Hall of the People on the west side of Tiananmen Square amid tight security and under blue skies after several smoggy days in the Chinese capital.
China sees self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as part of its territory, to be reclaimed one day by military intervention if necessary. Taiwan responded that it would not back down on its sovereignty or compromise on freedom and democracy. “Taiwan’s position is firm: no backing down on national sovereignty, no compromise on democracy and freedom, and meeting on the battlefield is absolutely not an option for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait,” the Taiwanese presidential office said in a statement. “This is the consensus of Taiwan’s people,” it said and added that the national security team was keeping a close eye on developments at the Chinese congress.
Tensions between Beijing and Taipei rose dramatically in August after China staged war games near Taiwan following the visit to Taiwan of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Those military activities have continued though at a reduced pace.
In his speech opening the party congress, Jinping said China always “respected, cared for and benefited” Taiwan’s people and was committed to promoting economic and cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. “Resolving the Taiwan issue is the Chinese people’s own business, and it up to the Chinese people to decide,” he said.
“We insist on striving for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and best efforts, but we will never promise to give up the use of force and reserve the option to take all necessary measures.” That option is aimed at “interference” by external forces and a “very small number” of Taiwan independence supporters rather than the vast majority of the Taiwanese people, Xi said.
“The historical wheels of national reunification and national rejuvenation are rolling forward, and the complete reunification of the motherland must be achieved and it will be achieved!” he added to a long round of applause, and condemned “separatism and interference” on the matter.
Taiwan’s presidential office said in response that the Republic of China – the island’s official name – was a sovereign and independent country. In her national day speech on Monday, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen had said war between Taiwan and China was not an option and reiterated her willingness to talk to Beijing, even as she pledged to keep boosting Taiwan’s defences.
On Sunday, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang – who China put sanctions on last year, saying he was a separatist – said Xi should focus on his own people. Referring to rare banners of political protest on an overpass in Beijing on Thursday, Su said, “Xi Jinping should pay attention to the smoke and protest banners on the Sitong Bridge in Beijing, rather than always thinking about using force to deal with Taiwan.”
China refuses to speak to Tsai, considering her a separatist. Beijing has offered Taiwan a “one country, two systems” model of autonomy, the same formula it uses for Hong Kong. But all mainstream Taiwanese political parties have rejected that proposal and it has almost no public support, according to opinion polls. Taiwan says only its people can decide their own future and that Beijing’s claims are void as the People’s Republic of China has never governed any part of the island.
While insisting that China would not engage in expansion, Jinping said Beijing opposed a “Cold War mentality” in international diplomacy, though made no mention of frayed relations with the United States. “China… resolutely opposes all forms of hegemony and power politics, opposes the Cold War mentality, opposes interfering in other countries’ domestic politics, opposes double standards,” he said claiming Beijing “will never seek hegemony and will never engage in expansion.”
Jinping also hailed Hong Kong’s transition from “chaos to governance”, after the imposition of a national security law in 2020 that has quashed dissent in the once outspoken city. “The situation in Hong Kong has achieved a major transition from chaos to governance,” he said.
China must ensure Hong Kong is ruled by patriots and China will support Hong Kong in integrating with the mainland, he said and claimed that “One country, two systems” was the best system for Hong Kong and must be adhered to in the long run.
He said China would accelerate the building of a world-class military and strengthen its ability to build a strategic deterrent capability. He also spoke of giving priority to protecting the environment and promoting green consumption, production and lifestyles, saying the protection of nature was essential to building a modern socialist country. He said China had made progress in tackling environmental problems and vowed to “basically eliminate” heavy air and water pollution while bringing soil contamination under control. He vowed to continue an “energy revolution” and promote the clean use of coal.
Xi said China would solidly promote common prosperity, improve the system of wealth distribution and accelerate the development of a housing system based on both home rental and purchases. China will “increase the income of low income-earners, expand the middle-income class, regulate the order of income distribution and regulate the mechanism of wealth accumulation,” Xi said.