Bringing Taiwan back into the fold is the only way Beijing can achieve permanent peace with the island and avoid seeing Taiwan invaded by a foreign power, according to a new book written by top Communist Party ideologues. “Only through complete reunification of the motherland can compatriots on both sides be completely freed from the shadow of civil war and jointly create and share permanent peace across the Taiwan Strait,” an article included in the book said. The publication is the party’s official explanation for an amendment to its constitution last month. Only by unifying with Taiwan, the piece went on, “can Taiwan avoid being occupied by foreign countries again, and can we defeat the attempts of external forces to contain China and safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests”. It added that unification was the only way to eliminate the hidden danger of Taiwan independence forces “separating China”. The article was an explanation for the party’s decision to add “opposing and containing Taiwan independence” to its constitution last month, the first time such an explicit reference has been included in the document to address tensions around the island. The book, Questions and Answers of the 20th Party Congress Constitution Amendments , was written by about two dozen top party ideologues, led by three current members of the seven-strong Politburo Standing Committee : the party’s former ideology chief Wang Huning, its former anti-corruption chief Zhao Leji and President Xi Jinping’s chief of staff Ding Xuexiang. The book was published on October 28 by Party Building Books Publishing House, which is affiliated with the Central Organisation Department, the party’s main body for personnel appointment and training. From Mao to Xi: how Communist Party leaders have shaped its ideology Despite rising tensions and loud rhetoric from Beijing over the Taiwan situation following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August, it is rare for the Communist Party to spell out its arguments related to the Taiwan issue so clearly. The book did not discuss how Beijing would achieve unification with Taiwan, however in his work report delivered at the 20th party congress last month, Xi said Beijing would do its utmost towards peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but would never promise to renounce the use of force. The most recent article explicitly names the United States, saying some forces in the US saw mainland China as a main strategic opponent and long-term challenge “out of a hegemonic and cold war mentality”. “These forces try their hardest to contain and suppress China, using Taiwan to subdue China,” it said. “The US claims that it supports the one-China policy, not Taiwan independence, but some forces in the country have been acting the opposite … they strengthen official connections with Taiwan, plan military sales and strengthen military ties between the US and Taiwan.” The article said these forces encouraged Taiwan independence forces to create tension across the strait while accusing the mainland of “exerting pressure”, “threatening” and “unilaterally changing the status quo”. The authors said these actions were doomed to fail. “Unification is a historical trend and the right way, while ‘Taiwan independence’ is going against the current of history, and a dead end,” the article said. US-China relations fell to their lowest point in half a century in August when Pelosi visited Taiwan, which Beijing saw as a violation of its sovereignty. China has no time frame for Taiwan reunification, even if US says so: envoy Beijing, which repeatedly warned against Pelosi making the visit, responded with severe condemnation and days of live-fire drills around Taiwan, including dozens of incursions over the median line in the Taiwan Strait, a de facto boundary it had honoured up to that point. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory that must be brought back under its control, by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state. Washington, however, opposes any attempt to take the island by force. The party’s constitution has been amended at every national congress since it was established in 1921. It now includes the political theories of all the party’s paramount leaders, from Mao Zedong to Xi, and a revision in 1982 prohibiting personality cults.