Beijing ‘will keep military pressure on Taiwan’ after Xi Jinping’s call for unification
- Xi said on Wednesday he proposed ‘democratic consultations’ for ‘peaceful development of cross-strait ties’ but would not renounce force
- People’s Liberation Army Navy will continue its patrols because it is in deadlock with US support for Taiwan, military analysts believe
Beijing is unlikely to reduce its military pressure on Taiwan despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call on Wednesday for “peaceful reunification”, analysts said.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy and Air Force are expected to continue patrols around the self-ruled island, as they have been doing regularly since Taiwan’s pro-independence president Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016.
“Such patrols have become the normal programme and prearranged in the PLA’s annual training plans,” said Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator.
Beijing views the island as a breakaway province and has vowed to reunify it with the mainland, by force if necessary.
At Wednesday’s gathering to mark the 40th anniversary of the Communist Party’s call to end military confrontation across the Taiwan Strait, Xi re-proposed “democratic consultations” with Taipei to “reach transitional arrangements for the peaceful development of cross-strait ties”.