Taiwan says ‘reunification law’ would bring too much pressure for Beijing

Senior Taiwanese official tells parliament he doesn’t see such legislation being adopted because it would be like ‘setting a timetable’ for taking control of the island

It has not been formally proposed but has been raised and discussed in state media, and the Taiwan Affairs office says they ‘carefully listen to and study suggestions’

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Beijing, which sees democratically run Taiwan as its own territory, has not officially proposed a “reunification law”. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 3:41pm, 24 Mar 2022

A senior Taiwanese official on Thursday said he did not see mainland China adopting a “reunification law” as it would put too much pressure on Beijing to set a timetable for bringing the island under its control, which could severely raise tensions.

Beijing, which views democratically run Taiwan as its own territory, has not officially proposed such legislation. It would be a follow-up to a 2005 law giving Beijing the legal basis for military action if it judges Taiwan to have seceded or to be about to.

But it has been discussed in state media, and last week a spokesperson for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, asked about a suggestion from a political adviser for such a law, said they “carefully listen to and study opinions and suggestions”.

Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only its people can decide the island’s future.

Chen Ming-tong, director general of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, said Beijing had tried to set a timetable in the Deng Xiaoping era, “but in the end thought it best not to”. Photo: CNA

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau director general Chen Ming-tong, taking questions from lawmakers in parliament, said a mainland Chinese proposal for such legislation had generated a lot of discussion previously.