Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) upcoming visit to China is intended to bolster Cheng’s pro-unification stance within the KMT and create the illusion for US President Donald Trump that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are leaning toward unification, a national security source said yesterday on condition of anonymity.
The source gave two reasons why Beijing decided to schedule Cheng’s trip after Tomb Sweeping Day ahead of the meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), which has been postponed from this month to next month.
First is to create the illusion that Beijing is “entirely in control” of the Taiwan situation, and to foster the impression that Taiwanese support unification, the source said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The trip is meant to send a signal that the US should stop or reduce arms sales to Taiwan, as they are no longer necessary and would only give President William Lai (賴清德) the impetus to use force to pursue Taiwan independence, the source said.
Such a ploy, if successful, would allow Beijing to take a breather, especially in light of China’s faltering economy and the Trump administration flip-flopping on whether to wage an economic war against China, the source said.
The second reason stems from growing support within the KMT to support the special defense budget, the source said.
Given the increasing number of KMT members voicing support for the proposal, US and European political figures expressing support for stronger Taiwanese defense, Beijing is in a hurry to bring Cheng to China to ensure that the KMT does not deviate from its view on the issue, the source said.
If Taiwan were to be seen singing the same tune as Beijing, it would signify to the rest of the world that Taiwanese would rather stand with an authoritarian China and are not averse to being ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, which in turn would affect Taiwan’s international support, the source said.
Over the long term, it would lead to democratic countries worldwide to exclude Taiwan from the global security system, which would spell disaster for global supply chains and collective security, the source said.
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