China puts Taiwan ‘reunification’ strategy at heart of national revival plans

The plan will promote reunification as part of national rejuvenation, according to cross-strait affairs official

Beijing strives for peaceful reunification but will take ‘all necessary measures’

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In an article published on Thursday, Taiwan Affairs Office head Liu Jieyi vowed that Beijing would punish “Taiwan independence forces” and crack down on foreign interference. Photo: Weibo

Published: 8:17pm, 7 Jul 2022

Beijing’s top official for cross-strait affairs has outlined a framework for a Taiwan strategy, saying tensions with the island would gradually be resolved as mainland China’s strength grows.

In an article published in People’s Daily on Thursday, Liu Jieyi, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office, said one focus of the strategy would be preventing and resolving major risks and hidden dangers in the Taiwan Strait, creating a “favourable environment” for national rejuvenation.

“Our growing comprehensive strength and significant institutional advantages continue to be transformed into efficiency in work related to Taiwan issues and push forward the process of national reunification,” Liu said.

Reunification should be promoted as part of the country’s rejuvenation, and this would serve as the “main goal” of Beijing’s new plan on Taiwan, while solving the Taiwan issue based on the mainland’s development would serve as the “strategic idea”, Liu said.

It is the first time Liu has laid out the framework of a strategy for dealing with Taipei.