Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Tuesday rejected the idea of unification with China, saying it is “not an option” for Taiwan.
The Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency earlier reported that in a telephone call on Monday with US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) said that “reunification” was part of the post-World War II order.
Cho denied Xi’s claim, saying that Taiwan’s 23 million people would determine their own future, and maintaining the “status quo” is essential for regional security and global economic stability.
Separately, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said that Trump’s silence regarding whether Taiwan was discussed in the phone call suggested that the nation is not being used as a bargaining chip in US-China negotiations. His comments were well-intentioned, but they risk reinforcing a misconception: Neither the People’s Republic of China nor the US have administrative authority over Taiwan, so the nation could never be a bargaining chip at all.
As Cho said, only the people of Taiwan have the right to decide the nation’s future. The idea that Washington could negotiate on Taipei’s behalf reflects the same misunderstanding driving controversy over Trump’s remarks about possible talks with Russia on ending its war against Ukraine. No external power can legitimately determine the fate of a democratic society.
As stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, the US is legally obligated to help Taiwan maintain its self-defense capabilities and Taipei benefits from arms procurements, as they help to deter Chinese coercion. Although there is no mechanism to force Washington to uphold its commitments, it remains in its strategic interests to prevent a Chinese takeover of Taiwan.
Yet US support would mean little if Taiwanese are unwilling to resist. That is why public opinion on unification matters and why China invests heavily in cognitive warfare aimed at weakening public morale.
Polls have shown minimal public support for unification. National Chengchi University’s Election Study Center in 2023 found that only 7.4 percent favored unification. A Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation poll in December last year showed 13.3 percent support, while another foundation survey last month showed 13.9 percent support. Most Taiwanese prefer the “status quo” or eventual de jure independence.
Some observers have asked whether Taiwanese would resist in a conflict. However, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), in an interview with Canada’s CBC News, said the unity shown during flood relief efforts in Hualien County after Typhoon Ragasa demonstrated the public’s resilience. Social solidarity in crises often reflects how a society responds to external threats.
Concerns have also been raised about whether the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would support legislation needed to boost defense. While the KMT says there is only “one China,” many of its leaders have publicly rejected unification. Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) long adhered to his “three noes”: no unification, no independence and no use of force.
A potential wild card is KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), who has advocated closer ties with China and reduced reliance on US arms. She has also described people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait as “members of the same family,” raising questions about how the party would position itself on security matters.
China is unlikely to renounce the use of force against Taiwan. While US assistance remains important, it will ultimately be the will of Taiwanese that determines Taiwan’s future. The government must continue to counter cognitive warfare, promote unity, broaden defense partnerships, and make clear to China and the world that Taiwan is not a bargaining chip and would not capitulate in the face of coercion.
The cancelation this week of President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visit to Eswatini, after the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius revoked overflight permits under Chinese pressure, is one more measure of Taiwan’s shrinking executive diplomatic space. Another channel that deserves attention keeps growing while the first contracts. For several years now, Taipei has been one of Europe’s busiest legislative destinations. Where presidents and foreign ministers cannot land, parliamentarians do — and they do it in rising numbers. The Italian parliament opened the year with its largest bipartisan delegation to Taiwan to date: six Italian deputies and one senator, drawn from six
Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam, seeming to believe that rats could not simply dig another path out. Meanwhile, as the nation’s capital slowly deteriorates into a rat hive, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection has proudly pointed to the increase in the number of poisoned rats reported in February and March as a sign of success. When confronted with public concerns over young
Taiwan and India are important partners, yet this reality is increasingly being overshadowed in current debates. At a time when Taiwan-India relations are at a crossroads, with clear potential for deeper engagement and cooperation, the labor agreement signed in February 2024 has become a source of friction. The proposal to bring in 1,000 migrant workers from India is already facing significant resistance, with a petition calling for its “indefinite suspension” garnering more than 40,000 signatures. What should have been a straightforward and practical step forward has instead become controversial. The agreement had the potential to serve as a milestone in
China has long given assurances that it would not interfere in free access to the global commons. As one Ministry of Defense spokesperson put it in 2024, “the Chinese side always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to countries under international law.” Although these reassurances have always been disingenuous, China’s recent actions display a blatant disregard for these principles. Countries that care about civilian air safety should take note. In April, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) canceled a planned trip to Eswatini for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s coronation and the 58th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic
RSS