China & US WAR? Beijing prepares to take Taiwan ‘BY FORCE’ before Trump is President
THE CHINESE government has indicated that it should be ready to seize Taiwan by force before Donald Trump takes office.
Taiwan troops on exercise
The state-owned newspaper Global Times, seen as a mouthpiece for the ruling Communist party, wrote: “The Chinese mainland should display its resolution to recover Taiwan by force.”
The editorial piece went on to describe the recent comments by the US President-elect regarding Taiwan as a “farce”.
It stressed that China is now forced to be “vigilant” and forestall any potential US actions regarding the matter with their own actions.
Trump in diplomatic controversy over Taiwan phone call
US President-elect Donald Trump
The paper wrote: “It might be time for the Chinese mainland to reformulate its Taiwan policy, make the use of force as a main option and carefully prepare for it.”
“If the Chinese mainland won’t pile on more pressure over realising reunification by using force, the chance of peaceful unification will only slip away.
“Independent forces on the island publicly believe that time is on their side… they can turn the tables with the help of international forces.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen
“The future of Taiwan must not be shaped by… Washington.”
Last Sunday, Mr Trump also called into question the need for the US to maintain formal relations with Beijing instead of Taiwan.
He said: “I fully understand the ‘one China policy’, but I don’t know why we have to be bound by a ‘one China policy’ unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.”
Tensions between the President-elect and China had become strained after Mr Trump had a phone conversation with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, the first such contact between the heads of states of the two countries since 1979.
Taiwanese troops on exercise
Since the 1970s, the global community has been communicating with the two under the “One China” arrangement, which states that countries can maintain formal diplomatic relations with either China or Taiwan, but not both. The rift between the two has existed since the Communists won the Chinese Civil War in 1949, defeating the Nationalists who fled to Taiwan.
While he did not mention Trump’s Taiwan comments, China’s Ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, said on Wednesday that China would never allow issues involving its national sovereignty or territorial integrity to be a “bargaining chip” in US-China relations.
Tiankai said: “Basic norms of international relations should be observed, not ignored, certainly not be seen as something you can trade off.”
“And indeed, national sovereignty and territorial integrity are not bargaining chips. Absolutely not. I hope everybody would understand that.”