Chinese Communist dictator Xi Jinping has threatened to stop Taiwanese independence “by any means” as the island nation prepares for elections on January 13th, insisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be “resolving” the “Taiwan question” in the coming years.
Taiwan is the last remnant of Chinese-claimed territory refusing to incorporate into the CCP’s People’s Republic (PRC) following the Chinese Civil War. Decades on, Taiwanese leaders are increasingly intent on maintaining the island’s independence – a matter considered unacceptable by the CCP, as it would shut the door on any reintegration with the mainland.
Chen Binhua, the PRC’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman, warned on Wednesday that if Taiwan’s governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) “continue[s] to stubbornly adhere to their Taiwan independence position…we support the relevant departments taking further measures in accordance with the regulations.”
In addition to his aforementioned comments, Xi also said “China’s complete reunification is an inevitable trend,” claiming it is “what the people desire.”
Most Western states appease the CCP by casually recognizing Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan – the ‘One China’ policy – as the price of doing business with Beijing. Informally, however, most Western states maintain strong relations with the Taiwanese government, with Washington offering Taipei certain security guarantees through the Taiwan Relations Act.
