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Why Beijing claims Taiwan

As China has stepped up its rhetoric on Taiwan and steadily increased deployment of the missiles targeting the country, I believe that it is important for Taiwanese, as well as the rest of the world, to know the reasons behind China's obsession with the nation off its southeastern coast.

The Chinese communist regime wants possession of Taiwan for several reasons:

First, surging nationalism. National pride is perhaps the prime motive for annexing Taiwan. Chinese leaders and elites see Taiwan as the last remnant of China's humiliation by Japan and the West during the colonial period, when imperial powers carved China into different spheres of influence.

To many Chinese, the US' continued arms sales to Taiwan are an example of foreign powers perpetrating a historical "wrong" that is hindering China's rise and contributes to its "humiliation."

Second, Taiwan's threat to the Communist Party's legitimacy. By placing the issue of Taiwan so high on its agenda, the Communist Party has linked its own legitimacy to "reunification." Because of the importance placed on brining Taiwan under Beijing's control, Chinese leadership cannot afford to be less than adamant on the Taiwan issue, let alone "lose" Taiwan. As such, Taiwan could become an excuse for dissidents and activists to oppose the Communist Party's "mandate of heaven" to rule China.

Third, spreading separatism. The "loss" of Taiwan could spur dissent in other provinces with separatist tendencies, such as Xingjian and Tibet. Furthermore, foreign influence in Taiwan sets an undesirable precedent for Xingjian and Tibet, where international support for independence already exists.

Fourth, strategic geography. Chinese leaders see Taiwan as a critical link in a chain of US containment that begins in South Korea and Japan. The chain runs south to the Philippines, Thailand and Australia -- nations with which the US has security treaties. Beijing seeks to break that chain and to project power into the Pacific.

Fifth, China has become increasingly dependent upon imported energy resources. An independent Taiwan that could be used as a foreign military base can curtail China's ability to project military power into the Pacific and undermine its energy security.

Sixth, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) as constituency. The annexation of Taiwan has been the PLA's primary mission in the post-Cold War period. The PLA has always placed pressure on civilian leaders, but major events in Taiwan could increase its influence in the decision-making process.

In the event of a failure to "unify the motherland," the PLA would directly place the blame on civilian leaders and weigh in on any post-independence or post-conflict rectification scenario, potentially taking China back to isolation.

Seventh, diverting attention. Some believe that Chinese leaders play up the Taiwan issue to divert attention from China's political struggles and economic difficulties. Although China has just passed through a tense transition from the third generation to the fourth generation of leaders, corruption is still rampant, the banking system is riddled with bad loans, industrial productivity lags, especially in state-owned enterprises, and approximately 125 million people are unemployed.

Eighth, economic capacity. Taiwan has a strong economy and possesses impressive technologies. Absorbing Taiwan's vibrant economy and its technological prowess would be a plus for the troubled Chinese economy.

In summary, for its own political purposes, the Chinese Communist Party has cultivated nationalism among the Chinese people. By making "reunification" with Taiwan a core goal of the party, the regime has effectively linked its own legitimacy with that country.

A failure to carry out "reunification" would certainly present a domestic challenge to the party's continued rule, and perhaps bring about eventual collapse of the communist regime.

Chi Chen

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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