Some believe that 2022 could be the year when President Xi Jinping may be tempted to invade Taiwan to enforce the 바카라One China policy바카라, as Beijing appears frustrated with Taipei바카라s defiance. In such an event, will the United States (US) remain a silent bystander? America바카라s involvement will bring the US in direct confrontation with China at a time when US-China ties are at an all-time low. A war over Taiwan, with the US joining in, would prove disastrous for the world. Others say that the Chinese are pragmatic and it is unlikely that they would opt for a military coup, knowing the consequences would singe Beijing. However, following the incidents in Hong Kong and Xi Jinping바카라s overall assertion of China바카라s growing military strength in Asia, the question remains -- how would China바카라s strong man deal with a defiant Taiwan?
Why is the 바카라One China policy바카라 so dear to China and how does Taiwan fit into this?
The Chinese believe that there is only one China with Beijing as its capital and the Chinese Communist Party바카라s General Secretary Xi Jinping as its President. For China, Taiwan is a breakaway province which in time will be part of the country.
Taiwan was occupied by the Japanese, but after the allied victory in 1947, the defeated Japanese emperor had to return Taiwan to China. In 1949, when Mao Zedong바카라s Communist Revolution ended in China, the defeated nationalists, known as the Kuomintang, fled to Taiwan and set up their own government and claimed that they represented the real China and officially declared themselves as the Republic of China(ROC).
The Communists meanwhile had actual control of the mainland and renamed it the People바카라s Republic of China. The Communist Party of China believes that Taiwan is part of China and would one day be united. Taiwan has been repeatedly warned that any move to declare an independent country would not be tolerated. Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province.
As the Communists consolidated their position, China insisted that the international community does not recognize the government of Taiwan. Most countries fell in line, including India. New Delhi does not have full diplomatic ties with Taiwan. It, however, has a Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in New Delhi. India too has a similar office in Taipei. As India-China ties have deteriorated since the 2020 military confrontation in Ladakh, many believe it is time to have full-fledged diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The US resisted acknowledging Beijing till 1979. But since the thawing of ties with the 1972 visit to China by President Richard Nixon, relations between the two countries soared. Nixon바카라s secretary of state Henry Kissinger decided on rapprochement with Communist China, mainly to undercut the former Soviet Union, Washington gave the PRC full recognition. Despite this, the US maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan, sells large quantities of arms and has robust trade with it. Now with friction between the US and China, Washington바카라s outreach to Taiwan has increased substantially. This has naturally angered Beijing.
At the United Nations, China is represented and is a member of the Security Council while Taiwan is out. Beijing has ensured that major world powers do not recognize Taiwan and has so far succeeded in having its way. But that could also change as the US is hoping to make Taiwan a member of some of the UN bodies.
Current relations between China and Taiwan
Ever since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Tsai Ing-wen won the 2016 elections, she offended China by making overtures to the US. Unlike the main opposition KMT, or the Chinese Nationalist Party, which wants closer links with mainland China while retaining its democratic roots, the DPP is more inclined to Taiwanese nationalism and eventually an independent Taiwan. Unlike her predecessor, who had excellent ties with mainland China and cultivated Beijing, Tsai Ing-wen and her party is not inclined to take dictation from China. This has placed the two China(s) in a collision course. She won a rare second term in office in 2020 with more than 57 per cent of the popular vote, signifying popular endorsement of her views. She fought the elections on a decidedly anti-China platform which attracted the younger generation and fueled her pro-independence stand. Her victory was seen as a slap in the wrist to China바카라s efforts at controlling Taiwan. The older generation of Taiwanese, many of whom trace their roots back to the mainland may still be nostalgic about the homeland, but the younger Taiwanese have no such illusions and support her tough stand towards Communist China.
Luckily for Tsai Ing-wen, during her first term in office, Donald Trump also took over in Washington. Trump saw China as a challenger to US supremacy and blamed China for taking away American jobs. His campaign speech was full of anti-China rhetoric. Even before Trump took office, President Tsai Ing-wen called him in December 2016, to congratulate him and set the tone for Taiwan-US relations. This was the first time since 1979, that a US President or President-elect spoke to the President of Taiwan. Trump was delighted and tweeted, 바카라The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning Presidency. Thank you!". In a subsequent tweet, he said, "Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call."
Taiwan바카라s outreach to Washington was warmly reciprocated by Trump who lost no opportunity in calling out China and promised to defend Taiwan in case China wanted to grab it by force. Joe Biden has carried out Trump바카라s lead, selling arms to Taiwan, sending two Congressional delegations to visit Taipei in November and condemning China바카라s attempts to bully Taiwan by its show of force. China has criticized the visit and called it as 바카라serious violation바카라바카라 of its agreement with the US.
China바카라s show of strength
Ever since 2016, Chinese belligerence towards Taiwan has been stepped up and reached a crescendo in the last two years. China has been flying its fighter jets and bombers not on Taiwan's territorial airspace, which could provoke a retaliation but on its air defence identification zone, in an attempt to rattle Taipei and send across the message that China is militarily far superior and can easily take over Taiwan by force. In October last year, a record 149 Chinese fighters roared through Taiwan바카라s identification zone, in a space of four days. The pattern of flying bombers to intimidate Taiwan has continued through the year.
Threatening fly-pasts apart, China conducted military exercises near Taiwan soon after the visit of US lawmakers. China바카라s Ministry of Defence said the exercises around the Taiwan Strait were a 바카라necessary measure to safeguard national sovereignty.바카라바카라
US secretary of defence Lyod Austin saw the military exercise by China as a 바카라rehearsal바카라바카라 for a future attack. He made it clear that in such an eventuality, Washington would support Taiwan. During President Joe Biden바카라s virtual summit with President Xi Jinping in November, the Chinese media reported that Xi had warned Biden about 바카라playing with fire바카라바카라 by siding with Taiwan.
During an interaction with citizens on New Year바카라s Day this year, Taiwan바카라s President Tsai Ing-wen warned China against adventurism.바카라We must remind the Beijing authorities to not misjudge the situation and to prevent the internal expansion of 바카라military adventurism바카라,바카라 Tsai said.
China바카라s Taiwan affairs office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian reacting to the President바카라s words said that cross-strait tensions were triggered by the 바카라Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration바카라s 바카라unchecked plotting for independence and provocations, and collusion with outside forces to fight against the mainland in a bid to change the fact that 'both sides of the Strait belong to one China.바카라바카라 She added that the Taiwanese government under the DPP 바카라constantly produces lies, hikes up animosity, and sells hatred for political gains.바카라 The war of words and sabre rattling continues.
