Sino File | China’s Xi Jinping has opened the door to war with Taiwan
- After 40 years of peace efforts since Beijing’s ‘Message to compatriots in Taiwan’, president’s forceful words show threat of conflict has only grown
Beijing’s “Message to compatriots in Taiwan” on January 1, 1979 is seen by many as having ushered in a new era after decades of hostility. The policy statement not only declared an end to Beijing’s routine artillery bombardment of Taipei-controlled islands, it marked a shift in its basic approach to Taiwan – from one of “liberation” (which implies the use of force) to one of “peaceful unification”.
Editorials across the world ran with headlines such as “Will China go to war over Taiwan?” and “Is Taiwan’s military really ready to take on China?”.
In his speech, Xi appeared to redefine the 1992 consensus – an unofficial agreement reached that year between representatives of Beijing and Taipei that there is only “one China”, but each side may have its own interpretation of what constitutes “China”.