China will offer firm support to the “pro-reunification patriotic forces” in Taiwan and will fight hard against the “separatists”, said the top Chinese official responsible for policy towards the democratically governed island, in statements published this Tuesday (10).
China, which considers Taiwan its own territory despite objections from the government in Taipei, has intensified military and political pressure against the island, seeking to assert its sovereignty claims.
In his speech at this year’s “Taiwan Work Conference”, the fourth leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Wang Huning, said authorities must promote the “great cause of national reunification”, state news agency Xinhua reported.
It is necessary to “firmly support the patriotic pro-unification forces on the island, resolutely combat the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces, oppose interference from external forces, and safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Xinhua paraphrased.
China offers Taiwan a model of autonomy along the lines of Hong Kong, the “one country, two systems”, although no major Taiwanese political party supports this proposal.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which demonstrates how China considers Taiwan an important issue to promote its international agenda.
Taiwan holds elections for mayors and district magistrates at the end of the year. Although they mainly focus on local issues, they represent an important sign of party support ahead of the next presidential and parliamentary elections in early 2028.
There was no immediate response from the Taiwanese government to comments from Wang Huning, who says only the island’s people can decide its future.
China and USA
Beijing has repeatedly warned other countries, including the US, against interfering in the Taiwan issue, which it considers an internal matter.
In a phone call with , last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that the Taiwan issue is the most important in relations between China and the US.
Bilateral relations between Taiwan and Washington must deal with the issue of arms sales to the island with prudence.
In December, the Trump administration announced the biggest .
China refuses to hold talks with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and has rejected his repeated offers for talks, claiming he is a “separatist” who must accept that Taiwan is part of China.
Wang made these remarks just a week after meeting with a delegation from Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the KMT (Kuomintang), who were in Beijing for a meeting of the party’s think tanks.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday in Taipei, KMT Vice President Hsiao Hsu-tsen, who led the delegation to Beijing, stated that there was no discussion of political issues during the meeting with Wang, as the trip aimed to discuss issues such as tourism.
The KMT is eyeing a meeting between its new president, Cheng Li-wun, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Hsiao said that if there was any “confirmed news” about this, the party would announce it.
