Xi Jinping: “External interference” cannot stop China and Taiwan’s reunification

Taiwan was one of the issues discussed in a phone call between Joe Biden and Xi last week. (document)

Beijing:

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that “external interference” would not prevent Beijing from reunifying with Taiwan, as he met with the self-ruled island’s former leader in a rare cross-strait dialogue.

Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou’s visit to China is part of what he calls a “peace tour” aimed at calming tensions with Beijing. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its jurisdiction. control.

Xi Jinping welcomed a delegation led by Jack Ma to Beijing on Wednesday afternoon, according to Chinese and Taiwanese media reports, a rare meeting between current or former leaders of Beijing and Taipei and a landmark meeting between the two since 2015 when Ma was still in office. The first meeting since the summit. in office.

“The Chinese nation has written the indivisible history of both sides of the Taiwan Straits, engraving the fact that our compatriots are…connected by blood,” Xi said in a clip of the meeting broadcast by Taiwan TV’s news channel.

“No force can separate us… Differences in systems cannot change the objective fact that we belong to one country and one nation,” Xi told Ma across a sleek table in a gorgeous reception room in the capital.

Xi Jinping pointed out that external interference cannot stop the historical cause of our reunion.

Since arriving in China last week, Ma has been leading a delegation of 20 Taiwanese students to visit technology companies, universities and historical monuments.

In his speech to Xi Jinping, Ma Yun said that “young people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait represent the future of the Chinese nation.”

“If a war breaks out between the two sides, it will be an unbearable burden for the Chinese nation,” he said.

“Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are definitely smart enough to handle disputes peacefully and avoid conflicts,” Ma said, adding that they should also “oppose Taiwan independence.”

“Chinese fans”

Ma Ying-jeou served two terms as Taiwan leader from 2008 to 2016, representing the Kuomintang, which has long been more receptive to Beijing.

He has overseen improvements in cross-strait relations and held symbolic talks with Xi in Singapore nine years ago, the first meeting between Chinese and Taiwanese political leaders since the end of China’s civil war in 1949.

But relations between the two countries have declined sharply since the 2016 election of her successor, Tsai Ing-wen, who has refused to accept Beijing’s claims.

Since then, China has increased diplomatic and military pressure and has not ruled out using force to “unify” Taiwan.

The January election of Tsai Ing-wen’s deputy, Lai Ching-te, will sour cross-strait relations, with Beijing denouncing him as a “dangerous separatist”.

A spokesman for Lai Zhimin’s Democratic Progressive Party said that if Ma Ying-jeou spoke on behalf of the Kuomintang, his visit would “have a huge impact on Taiwan.”

“So far, we have not seen the Kuomintang come out to support or approve Ma Ying-jeou’s visit, so we are curious about (their) attitude,” Wu Cheng said.

Wu said Ma “seems to be a fan of China and likes to go to China,” adding: “Of course, we respect his personal preferences.”

relationship deteriorates

Lai said he wants to maintain the status quo with China.

Chinese warplanes and ships have been operating around the island of Taiwan on an almost daily basis, as Beijing increases military pressure on Taipei using what experts call “grey zone” operations, which do not include outright acts of war.

Last month, Taiwan spotted 36 Chinese warplanes flying over the island in 24 hours, the highest number in a single day this year.

Taiwan was one of the issues discussed in a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week.

The White House said Biden pressed Xi Jinping to ensure “peace and stability” across the Taiwan Strait before Jimmy Lai’s inauguration in May.

Xi Jinping told Biden that Taiwan remains an “insurmountable red line” for Beijing, according to Chinese state media.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)