China largely kept its language regarding Taiwan the same in an annual report to the nation’s legislature, suggesting that President Xi Jinping is maintaining its policy toward the self-ruled island even as global tensions increase.
(Bloomberg) — China largely kept its language regarding Taiwan the same in an annual report to the nation’s legislature, suggesting that President Xi Jinping is maintaining its policy toward the self-ruled island even as global tensions increase.
“We should promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and advance the process of China’s peaceful reunification,” Premier Li Keqiang said in a work report to the National People’s Congress, which kicked off in Beijing on Sunday.
China should “adhere to the one China principle and the 1992 Consensus, and take resolute steps to oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ and promote reunification,” he added. The consensus refers to an informal compromise with Taipei that stipulates that Taiwan is part of China but doesn’t specify what “China” means, allowing each side to retain its own definition.
Wen-ti Sung, a specialist on Taiwanese politics and cross-strait relations at Australian National University, said in a Tweet: “If Li’s speech is any guide, for 2023, Beijing is shooting for incremental progress, rather than quick results, on Taiwan.”
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Beijing has long considered the democratically ruled Taiwan as its territory, and has framed any support for the island’s leaders as a violation of sovereignty. The government in Taipei says that it is already a de facto nation in need of more recognition on the world stage.
The US’s top uniformed officer, General Mark Milley, told Congress last year that President Xi Jinping wanted the ability to overrun Taiwan by 2027. While Xi has pushed for military modernization efforts to ensure his forces are capable of overtaking the island if necessary, China’s now-Foreign Minister Qin Gang said last year that speculation Beijing had moved up the timeline for an attack was “baseless.”
“As we Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family bound by blood, we should advance economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait and improve the systems and policies that contribute to the wellbeing of our Taiwan compatriots,” Li said on Sunday. “We should encourage people on both sides of the Strait to jointly promote Chinese culture and advance China’s rejuvenation.”
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China’s parliament — the National People’s Congress — kicked off Sunday in Beijing and will end on March 13. Lawmakers will hear how the country’s top leaders plan to restart the economic growth engine and rejig the government to strengthen the party’s control.
(Updates with analyst comment.)
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