The Chinese mainland’s military prowess was demonstrated in the one-day military exercise on Oct 14, dubbed Joint Sword-2024B, which effectively surrounded Taiwan in nine areas: two off the east coast, three off the west coast, one to the north, and three around smaller islands adjacent to the Chinese mainland.
According to Senior Captain Li Xi, spokesperson of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, ships and aircraft approached Taiwan island from “close proximity in different directions”, focusing on sea-air combat readiness patrols, blockading key ports and areas, assaulting maritime and ground targets.
These drills followed a speech by Taiwan’s leader, Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), on Oct 10, in which he stated that Beijing had no right to represent the island, drawing widespread condemnation.
The spokesperson added, “The drill also serves as a stern warning to the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces. It is a legitimate and necessary operation for safeguarding state sovereignty and national unity. Those who play with fire get burned!”
Both Lai and his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, are verifiable secessionists. Their only difference is that Tsai acted discreetly to pursue her “Taiwan independence” road map, such as altering Chinese history books used in Taiwan and demolishing statues of former Taiwan leader Chiang Kai-shek. In contrast, Lai has been more blatant in promoting separatism, repeatedly provoking Beijing with his separatist rhetoric.
Lai appears to be playing the “Taiwan card” at Washington’s behest in trying to provoke Beijing into taking military action, which would put Taiwan’s 23 million people in unimaginable peril. Therefore, all Taiwan residents, especially the younger generation, must stand together in opposition to Lai, whose political brinkmanship against Beijing directly jeopardizes their future.
Lai and his predecessors in the DPP have spent vast sums of taxpayer money buying outdated military equipment from the United States. He was overjoyed when the US recently approved its largest-ever military package for Taiwan, costing the island’s taxpayers $567 million.
Let us hope that Taiwan residents are wise enough to recognize the peril that Lai is leading them into, and that the best future for them and future generations lies in peaceful reunification with the mainland, allowing them to continue enjoying their way of life under the “one country, two systems” framework
Given Lai’s persistent provocations, as demonstrated by his speech on Oct 10, Taiwan residents should be aware of the imminent peril he is bringing upon them, and ask themselves: How much more military equipment can Taiwan purchase from the US to match the Chinese mainland’s military power?
To gain a more realistic perspective, the people of Taiwan should visit Hong Kong to see how the “one country, two systems” framework has brought stability and safety back to the community after the 2019-20 insurrectionist violence and chaos. They should not be misled by the DPP, which has continuously badmouthed the system, even financing radical political activists bent on sabotaging Hong Kong’s evolving political system. The “one country, two systems” approach will ensure Taiwan’s continued stability and economic prosperity as it will benefit from the whole country’s global rise. It would also provide them with a strong national identity as Chinese, and excellent consular protection, as evidenced by the recent evacuation of Chinese citizens — including a Taiwan resident — from Lebanon by the Chinese Embassy.
If the people of Taiwan do visit Hong Kong, they should visit Golden Bauhinia Square, where they will see many mainland visitors taking photos. These visitors represent the hearts of 1.4 billion compatriots in the Chinese mainland who are overjoyed by the return of Hong Kong to the motherland. They also reflect the profound emotional impact of a century of humiliation and conflict experienced by the Chinese people, such as the Opium Wars and the violence of the Eight-Nation Alliance in Beijing. In the minds of mainland residents, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The people of Taiwan should not underestimate the aspirations of the 1.4 billion people on the Chinese mainland to reunify with Taiwan.
Additionally, the people of Taiwan should realize that President Xi Jinping has been the most knowledgeable on Taiwan among all Chinese leaders, having spent years as the head of Fujian province and being instrumental in establishing communication and business links with Taiwan. Given President Xi’s deep affection for Taiwan residents, taking military action would certainly be his last resort to achieve reunification with Taiwan. However, Beijing will never compromise on the issue of reunification. On Jan 2, 2019, Xi asserted during the 40th anniversary of the “Message to Compatriots in Taiwan” that Taiwan will inevitably be reunified with the motherland as part of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Moreover, history will also remember Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party. If he had honored his earlier promise to form an alliance with the Kuomintang in Taiwan’s islandwide election in 2023, they would have secured a majority vote to defeat Lai. However, at the last minute, Ko decided to run as an independent candidate, ultimately allowing Lai to win the election with only 37 percent of the total vote. This highlighted the Achilles’ heel of Taiwan’s electoral system, which allows someone with a minority of votes to be elected leader of the island.
Let us hope that Taiwan residents are wise enough to recognize the peril that Lai is leading them into, and that the best future for them and future generations lies in peaceful reunification with the mainland, allowing them to continue enjoying their way of life under the “one country, two systems” framework.
The author is an honorary fellow of the HKU Space and the Hong Kong Metropolitan University. He is also a council member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
