Beijing’s top Taiwan official warns independence forces will bring ‘disaster’ to island

Mainland China’s top official on Taiwan affairs has called on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to oppose “Taiwan independence and external interference” and promote closer integration.

“Taiwan independence forces and their activities undermine national sovereignty and territorial integrity, disrupt peace and stability in our homeland, and incite confrontation and division among compatriots,” said Wang Huning, the fourth-ranking official of China’s ruling Communist Party. He made the comments at the opening ceremony of the annual Straits Forum in Xiamen, Fujian province on Sunday.

“They will only bring disaster to the people of Taiwan,” added Wang, who is also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top advisory body.

In 2023, Beijing launched a comprehensive plan in Fujian – the province geographically and culturally closest to Taiwan – to promote “integrated development” across the strait by lifting long-standing restrictions on Taiwanese residents on the mainland, such as those related to housing, employment and social security.