China willing to make effort for peaceful ‘reunification’ with Taiwan

    Image credit: SCMP

    Following weeks of military exercises and war games by Beijing close to the island, a representative for the Chinese government stated on Wednesday that China is willing to use all possible effort to work toward a peaceful reunification with Taiwan.

    Taiwan is administered democratically, yet China claims it as its own territory. China’s claims to sovereignty over Taiwan are rejected by the Taiwanese government, which asserts that only the island’s residents have the power to determine the future of the territory.

    Since early last month, China has been conducting exercises near Taiwan after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei. These exercises have included firing missiles into the waters close to the island.

    At a news conference in Beijing, Ma Xiaoguang, a representative of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, stated that China was prepared to exert the most effort to accomplish peaceful “reunification”.

    “He continued by saying that China’s commitment to defending its borders is strong.”

    A “one nation, two systems” approach has been put forth by China for Taiwan, which is akin to the plan used to retake control of the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997.

    According to polls, that proposition has been opposed by every major Taiwanese political party and has almost no public support.

    China has also never renounced using force to annex Taiwan, and in 2005 it passed legislation authorising military action against Taiwan if it secedes or appears to be about to secede.

    According to Taiwan’s government, the People’s Republic of China’s claims to sovereignty over the island are invalid because it has never been under its control.