Mainland China’s top Taiwan official pledges support for pro-unification forces

Wang Huning, the party’s No 4, tells a conference that officials must ‘advance the process of reunification’ this year
His comments come a month after the victory of the independence-leaning DPP candidate William Lai in the presidential election

Taiwan

Liu Zhen

Published: 10:51pm, 23 Feb 2024

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Beijing’s top Taiwan affairs official has called for more efforts to support pro-unification forces and deepen cultural ties a month after the presidential election was won by an independence-leaning candidate.

Wang Huning, who heads the Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, told the Taiwan Affairs Work Conference that this year its task was to “advance the process of reunification” and “maintain peace and stability” across the Taiwan Strait, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

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Wang, the No 4 in the Communist Party’s hierarchy, told officials they would also need to strike hard against Taiwan independence and interference by external forces.

Last month’s Taiwanese presidential election was won by William Lai Ching-te of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party – whom Beijing has repeatedly described as a dangerous separatist – as its next president. He will take office in May when current leader Tsai Ing-wen steps down.

Beijing has criticised Washington’s increased political support and arms sales to Taiwan as “external interference in China’s internal affairs”, and described them as the biggest obstacles to its reunification plan with Taiwan.

Wang also told the conference that Beijing has “overcome difficulties” in pushing ahead its Taiwan agenda and winning international support for the “one China” principle - an apparent reference to Honduras and Nauru cutting their ties with Taipei in the past 12 months.

“It is necessary to expand cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation in various fields and deepen cross-Strait integration and development. We should push for joint Chinese culture promotions across the Taiwan Strait and promote spiritual bonds among Chinese compatriots,” he added.

02:20

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Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.

As China will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China this year, Wang said Beijing will need to “further grasp the strategic initiative to achieve complete reunification of the motherland”.

In contrast to his speech last year, this time Wang did not refer to “one family across the Taiwan Strait” or of Beijing’s efforts to “promote policies benefiting the Taiwanese people”.

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Instead, he said Beijing would “firmly support patriotic and pro-unification forces on the island and unite Taiwan compatriots”.

In December, Beijing suspended tariff cuts on 12 products imported from Taiwan, a decision it blamed on the DPP’s stance, and threatened more measures might follow. The decision prompted speculation it might try to weaponise trade to influence the presidential election.