Under elevated military and political pressure from China, the government has stood its ground and refrained from acting rashly when receiving international support, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a report to the Legislative Yuan yesterday.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been increasing pressure on Taiwan in the name of promoting unification, and opposing independence and outside interference, the council told the legislature in Taipei ahead of the new session.
Internally, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has extolled the virtues of a single-party system while working to consolidate power in the hopes of being elected to an unprecedented third term next year, the council said.
Externally, the CCP has stressed that party leadership is its greatest advantage when dealing with a complex and volatile geopolitical climate, and plans to implement Xi’s vision of “great power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics,” it said.
While the party’s relations with the US are increasingly at odds over human rights abuses, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the origins of COVID-19 and other issues, the party is continuing dialogue over topics of mutual concern, such as climate change, the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan and the Iran nuclear deal, the report said.
Beijing has also continued using its Belt and Road Initiative, vaccine diplomacy and trade agreements to deepen its diplomatic and economic ties with other nations in a bid to expand its international influence, it said.
At the same time, it is looking to restrict Taiwan’s international space through confusing messaging, such as its interpretation of the “one China” principle, it added.
Xi also made particular reference to the “Taiwan question” in his speech for the CCP’s centenary celebration in July, during which he declared “complete reunification” to be the party’s historical duty, the report said.
The CCP has even attempted to use the COVID-19 pandemic to manipulate public opinion in Taiwan by offering vaccine donations and promoting vaccine tourism to China, while its “united front” work continues through the “22 Forestry and Agricultural Measures” and “integration” with China’s Fujian Province, the council said.
These political pressures have deepened alongside military intimidation, as CCP aircraft continue to encroach on Taiwanese airspace, the council said.
As international concern over cross-strait peace and willingness to engage with Taiwan have expanded, so has criticism from the CCP, which accuses Taiwan of relying on the US and resisting unification by force, it added.
Despite this, the government has upheld its commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the report said.
Taiwan is a responsible member of the region and would monitor CCP activity, the council said, calling on Beijing to abandon its political frameworks and coercive behavior in favor of pragmatic and constructive dialogue.
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