Military force ‘last resort’ in US-China tensions over Taiwan

National People’s Congress deputy and leading academic says calls to take island by force no help to cross-strait relations

Peaceful reunification preferred but Beijing must ‘be alert’ for any moves towards independence

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s administration is close to Washington, which has added to tensions in US-China relations. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00am, 29 May 2020Updated: 8:00am, 29 May 2020

Tensions with the US over Taiwan are at boiling point, but the use of military force will remain a last resort for China, a leading researcher in Taiwan studies said on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress in Beijing.

Li Yihu, head of the Institute of Taiwan Studies with Peking University and an NPC deputy, said Taiwan was a “potential tipping point” for China-US relations, although it remained unknown whether it would escalate to an open collision.

“The US will further look to the strategic value of the Taiwan issue in containing China, and will play the Taiwan card frequently over a long period of time, just as in the current situation,” Li said. “The Taiwan Strait is indeed the main field for China-US rivalry and contention.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has further plunged already deteriorating relations between Beijing and Washington, with tensions widening from a blame game over the origins of new coronavirus to multiple fronts, including trade, hi-tech, military, security, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In late March, US President Donald Trump signed into law the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act (TAIPEI Act) – an elevated level of support for Taiwan’s international recognition rarely seen since Washington cut diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979.

The US also led a campaign for Taiwan to be granted access the World Health Organisation and, in recent months, has increased the numbers of American warships and military aircraft in the waters near Taiwan.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and views any pro-independence activity as contrary to its core national interests. Beijing has threatened a military operation for reunification if Taipei seeks independence.