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US-China ties should not be ‘held hostage’ by Taiwan issue, says Chinese political scientist and adviser to Beijing
- Taiwan remains ‘core’ issue in US-China ties, but it is ‘not the whole story’, noted professor and adviser to Beijing’s policymakers says
- In comments posted on WeChat, Zheng Yongnian urges Beijing to explore ‘salami slicing’ approach to push for peaceful reunification
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Beijing should not let US relations be “held hostage” by the Taiwan issue, a noted political scientist and adviser to Chinese policymakers has urged.
Zheng Yongnian, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Shenzhen campus, said while Taiwan remained a “core” issue in US-China ties, it was “not the whole story”.
Rather, Beijing should construct a “new Taiwan narrative” for the world, Zheng said, in comments published on social media the day after the island chose an independence-leaning candidate to be its next president.
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“[Beijing] must make it clear to the world that the Taiwan issue is not an issue of democracy and freedom, but an issue of sovereignty that cannot be discussed”.
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William Lai wins Taiwan presidential election
William Lai wins Taiwan presidential election
Zheng also said the US was mainly using Taiwan as a “bargaining chip … to contain China” but suggested that Washington and Beijing could find new shared interests.
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