China has said it will adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward “separatist activities” in Taiwan and insisted it will retake the island by force if necessary, according to a white paper published Wednesday (10).
“The Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era,” the white paper published by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council, outlines how Beijing intends to take the island through economic incentives and military pressure.
“We are prepared to create a vast space for peaceful reunification, but will leave no room for separatist activities in any form,” the white paper highlights.
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Beijing’s warning was released after several days of Chinese military maneuvers around Taiwan, organized in response to a visit to Taipei by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The congresswoman last week became the top American official to visit Taiwan in decades, despite the threat of reprisals from China, which seeks to keep Taipei isolated from the world stage.
Read more on the subject: China says US will ‘bear all consequences’ if Pelosi visits Taiwan
“We will work with the utmost sincerity and do everything possible to achieve peaceful reunification. But we will not renounce the use of force and reserve the option to take all necessary measures,” the document highlights.
“This is to protect us against outside interference and all separatist activities. In no way does it target our Chinese compatriots in Taiwan. The use of force will be the last resort taken in dire circumstances,” it adds.
The previous edition of the white paper on Taiwan was published by China in 2000. The new document was released on the same day that a Taiwanese opposition leader traveled to China to meet with Taiwanese businessmen, despite Taipei’s request that he cancel the trip. Andrew Hsia, vice chairman of the pro-Beijing leaning Kuomingtan party, made the visit in a personal capacity and did not stop by Beijing.
Also read: China warns it will not tolerate Taiwan ‘separatists’
But Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has harshly criticized him for crossing the Taiwan Strait at times when China carries out maneuvers around the island. Since the 1990s, the island has moved from an autocracy to a vibrant democracy and developed a particular Taiwanese identity.
Relations between the two sides have worsened since 2016, when current President Tsai, whose Democratic Progressive Party does not consider Taiwan to be part of China, came to power.
Her platform fits the definition of what China considers Taiwanese separatism, which also includes those who want the island to have a separate identity from the mainland.
Fear of invasion
The Chinese white paper promises Taiwan economic prosperity as well as “more security and dignity” after “reunification.”
But the offer was released after the largest military exercise China has organized around the island, including blockade simulations. The maneuvers sparked fears that the Chinese communist authorities were preparing an invasion. The exercises were supposed to end on Sunday, but continued throughout the week without an announcement about a closing date. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday revealed details of the exercises held the day before around Taiwan.
The EPL’s eastern command said Tuesday’s simulations focused on establishing air dominance, releasing video and photos of fighter planes as they took off, and performing maneuvers, such as refueling in mid-flight with a tanker plane. The military later announced that it had “successfully completed several tasks,” without explaining whether more exercises are scheduled.
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“The troops (in the east) will monitor changes in the Taiwan Strait situation, continue to conduct military training and prepare for war,” the EPL added.
Taiwan accuses China of using Pelosi’s visit as a pretext to train for an invasion. The island has executed its own military exercises to counter an action on its territory and has released images of the maneuvers by its army, navy and air force.
The Taiwanese exercises prompted another Chinese warning on Tuesday. Any plot to “resist reunification through arms…will end in failure, like an insect trying to stop a carriage,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
