In an interview with CNN on Oct. 26, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) signaled that Taiwan wants a dialogue with Beijing to avoid misunderstanding. However, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) on Oct. 29 responded by dismissing Tsai’s gesture and saying that adherence to Beijing’s “one China” principle and the “1992 consensus” is the litmus test of sincerity in dialogue.
No matter whether Ma’s comments faithfully conveyed the opinions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee, for the sake of the peaceful development of neighboring countries, Taiwan should again express its strong willingness to engage in dialogue.
Taiwan is on the path to becoming a normal country, but China is continually hounding it with military harassment. According to a report that the Ministry of National Defense submitted to the Legislative Yuan on Oct. 27, Chinese People’s Liberation Army aircraft have since the beginning of this year made more than 680 incursions into the southwestern part of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
As well as putting increased military pressure on Taiwan, this harassment has prompted the US to assign more aircraft and ships to secure the first island chain.
However, in China’s eyes, tensions between the two sides continue to spiral upward, as expressed by Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) in Rome on Monday last week.
He said that “the US’ connivance and support for Taiwan independence forces is also to blame,” the People’s Daily reported.
From yesterday to Thursday, the CCP’s 19th Central Committee is holding its Sixth Plenary Session, at which it is expected to ratify the party’s “third historical resolution.”
Maybe Taiwan can take advantage of the international media’s attention on the plenary to suggest that the leaders of both sides of the Taiwan Strait hold “national affairs talks on the South China Sea” to reduce the possibility of accidental conflict. No matter whether the other side responds, it would be a way for Taiwan to thank its allies for their support in the field of military diplomacy. At least Taiwanese can say that Taiwan has made an effort.
Shih Ya-hsuan is an associate professor at National Kaohsiung Normal University’s Department of Geography.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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