After Chinese President Xi Jinping promised ‘complete reunification,’ Taiwan hits out at Beijing
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July 9th 2021
By: Norvisi Mawunyegah
On Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised Taiwan’s “full reunification,” prompting a harsh rebuttal from the democratic, self-governing island, which slammed the Chi and the Chinese mainland The Taiwan Strait, which is only around 100 miles wide (160 kilometers) at its narrowest point, separates China and Taiwan. Although the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing has never had control over Taiwan, it maintains the island is a runaway province that must be reunited with the mainland one day — by force.
Xi declared “reunification” with Taiwan a “unwavering historical purpose” of the CCP and a “shared ambition” of the Chinese people in a speech commemorating the party’s 100th anniversary. In response, the audience exploded in applause. Following Xi’s address, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council issued a statement criticizing the CCP. It stated that while the party had achieved economic success in China, it had also suppressed democracy, abused human rights, and become more totalitarian at home.
The Mandarin-language statement stated that “democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law are essential principles of Taiwanese society – a substantial institutional distinction from the other side of the strait.”
The Taiwanese government, according to the council, remains committed to defending the island’s sovereignty and democracy. It went on to say that the Taiwanese people have always opposed the “one China principle” and asked Beijing to stop using military force against the island. The concept of a single central Chinese government, led by the Communist Party in Beijing, is known as the “one China principle. “China has pressed its claims over Taiwan more strongly under Xi’s leadership, and Chinese warplanes have repeatedly breached Taiwan’s air defense zone this year. Taiwan has also become a point of contention between the US and China. The United States has gotten closer to Taiwan in recent years, which has enraged Beijing, which believes the island has no right to conduct its own diplomacy.
China exerts pressure on other nations and international organizations to avoid dealing with Taiwan on their own. The G-7 group of advanced economies, which includes the United States, requested for Taiwan to be allowed to participate in World Health Organization conferences in May.
