The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses a combination of soft and hard methods to divide Taiwanese, Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Vice Chairman Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said.
The CCP treats targets differently, luring those who can be won over to sow division, Luo said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) on Thursday.
The “soft” approach includes “united front” efforts, such as exchanges for religious groups, academics and the youth, and offering business opportunities to Taiwanese businesspeople, he said.
Photo: Chen Chia-jui, Taipei Times
“They show people scenic mountains and rivers, and talk about a shared history and culture in a bid to confuse people, saying that we are part of the same Chinese nation,” Luo said. “The CCP claims that there is only one China, and that ‘China’ is the People’s Republic of China [PRC], not the Republic of China.”
The “hard” methods include China’s military drills near Taiwan, using military aircraft, ships and coast guard vessels to continuously cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait and pressuring Taiwan’s government, he said.
China engages in those drills frequently, but stops short of a military seizure or blockade to cause fear and undermine Taiwanese’s will to resist, Luo said.
“It is a way of squeezing Taiwan to suffocate. The ultimate goal is to force Taiwan to accept China’s political demands and conditions, and accept becoming a part of the PRC,” he said. “We have achieved democracy, economic achievements and scientific progress through endless effort and sacrifices. Should we give all of that up and surrender, accepting to be ruled by the PRC?”
Since most Taiwanese would be unwilling to do so, Taiwan must seek balance and use the economy as a bargaining chip, he said.
Taiwan’s high-tech industry has an important position in the global supply chain, and its strength in semiconductors has made it an indispensable part of the world’s industrial division of labor, Luo said.
China is aware of Taiwan’s strengths, and looks for ways to disrupt the supply chain and steal its technology, he added.
“There have been many cases in the US where the CCP used spies, [such as] Chinese students or local residents who work in the US tech industry, and have them steal technologies for China,” he said. “It has also circumvented export controls by purchasing Taiwanese products through disguised subsidiaries.”
Many of the exchanges that the CCP invites Taiwanese on are aimed at stealing technology and poaching talent, Luo said, adding that the nation must bolster defense and protection to avoid the loss of its chips and technology.
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