Taiwan’s presidential election risks war, ex-Beijing official says as mainland steps up pressure over island

Name: Taiwan election exposes generational rift over potential reunification with mainland China
Uploaded: 2023-12-25T07:04:24.000Z
Duration: 5 min 27 s
Description: Taiwan election exposes generational rift over potential reunification with mainland China

‘One thing is certain: Taiwan independence means war, and insisting on Taiwan independence’ will lead to war sooner or later,’ Wang Zaixi says

Taiwan defence ministry reports on Sunday eight mainland Chinese fighter jets crossed the median line in the 24 hours prior

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Supporters of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate William Lai Ching-te attend a rally ahead of the January 2024 presidential election. Photo: AFP

Shi Jiangtao

Published: 3:04pm, 25 Dec 2023Updated: 9:45pm, 25 Dec 2023

Cross-strait tensions run the risk of escalating into an armed conflict if the front running candidate from Taiwan’s ruling independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party wins the island’s presidential elections next month, a former mainland government official has warned.

The unusually harsh warnings by Wang Zaixi, former deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, came as Beijing stepped up military and political pressure on the self-ruling island ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections on January 13.

“There is a great deal of uncertainty in Taiwan’s elections, but one thing is certain: Taiwan independence means war, and insisting on Taiwan independence will lead to war sooner or later,” Wang, a retired major general, said at an event in Beijing on Saturday.

In keeping with Beijing’s official line, Wang, who is vice-president of the National Society of Taiwan Studies in Beijing, described William Lai Ching-te, current vice-president and the DPP’s presidential nominee who leads in the polls, as “a stubborn, radical Taiwan independence activist”.

05:27

Taiwan election exposes generational rift over potential reunification with mainland China

“If he comes to power, the possibility of a cross-strait military conflict cannot be ruled out, and we need to be fully aware of this,” Wang told the event hosted by the state-controlled newspaper Global Times.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x