Beijing is already prepared for Taiwan reunification

Despite the results of Saturday’s election, many young Taiwanese have come to recognise the economic, security and cultural benefits of reunification
Both sides could sit down and talk soon, but if the DPP continues to push for independence, a military resolution would be on the cards

Wang Wen

Published: 9:30am, 16 Jan 2024

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“I hope to get a Chinese passport and become a Chinese citizen,” a Taiwanese student once told me. “Only by being Chinese can we have confidence and become the most powerful country in the world. If we remain only Taiwanese, we are but a mere vassal of the United States.”

This student, who studied with me for five years, knows full well that mainland China can resist US suppression of its trade and technology and the politicising of human rights. His reflections are shared by many young Taiwanese when it comes to wanting pragmatic solutions to national reunification.

Many young people in Taiwan like to use mainland apps, such as TikTok and Little Red Book. They see new breathing space in the rapid rise in standards of living on the mainland and the great potential for continued economic progress.

That’s why one of the three candidates in Saturday’s election said he does not support independence while another said there is no point talking about it. I am optimistic that mainland China and Taiwan will sit down and talk soon, and the two sides will find a path forward to a truly reunified China.

Mainland China is already prepared for cross-strait reunification. Beijing has set 2035 for the completion of construction of a cross-strait bridge. Popular sentiment has been captured by a song by a mainland artist about his desire “to sit on a high-speed train to Taipei”.

The Chinese economy could surpass that of the US by around 2035 and become the world’s largest. In the future, the envy young people in Taiwan have for the mainland will only grow.

People take photos of downtown Taipei from Xiangshan on January 14. Photo: Elson Li

In the past, Taiwanese people had a sense of superiority rooted in their higher living standards, but today the gross domestic product of its west coast neighbour, Fujian province, exceeds Taiwan’s. Taiwan’s standard of living was much higher than Fujian’s 30 years ago, but now many Taiwanese are reflecting on why their island’s economy is slipping behind Fujian’s, although they share a regional culture.

Time is on mainland China’s side. The Democratic Progressive Party, currently in power on the island, will never change Beijing’s Taiwan policy. Beijing hopes for a peaceful reunification, but has never said that it will not use force.

Force will be used only to curb Taiwan independence, not against the people of Taiwan. Without Taiwan making a bid for independence, there will be no reunification through military conflict.

The more forcefully the DPP leads Taiwan independence activities, the quicker mainland China’s military forces will prepare for reunification. In the summer of 2022, Taiwan allowed Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the US House of Representatives, to visit the island. Mainland China conducted military drills around Taiwan, showing the People’s Liberation Army’s ability to blockade the island.

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When Chinese President Xi Jinping met Joe Biden outside San Francisco in November, he urged the US president to support China’s peaceful reunification. The US has said it does “not support Taiwan independence”. This shows that US policy goals are designed not to allow Taiwan independence, but to use Taiwan as a tool to curb the development of mainland China.

The US continuing to sell weapons to Taiwan only benefits the military-industrial complex, and cannot change the trend towards reunification.

The so-called “invasion of Taiwan” being hyped by Western media is inaccurate. Taiwan has never been a sovereign country. The differences between the mainland and Taiwan are not conflicts between two countries – they are differences within a single China.

Western media, politicians, and think tanks are confusing right and wrong. They would not say that US president Abraham Lincoln launched a war by invading the southern states, nor would they say that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher invaded Argentina. So why do they talk of the possibility of “China’s invasion of Taiwan”?

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Another lie is the “Chinese military threat”. Since 1979, China has never gone to war with any country. War is the only thing that is not “made in China”. Some American politicians often complain about China’s tough attitude, but this is because they only want China to follow their orders.

The Western media, especially the American media, should tell the story of US military conflicts around the world, including the destruction wrought in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya. US military expenses account for nearly 40 per cent of the world’s total, making the country a threat to the entire world, including China. Since 2018, the US has pursued a trade and tech war against China, which has only tried to preserve its sovereignty and security.

Fortunately, the trade and tech wars have not prevented China’s development. Trying to curb China by playing the Taiwanese card is destined for failure. The reunification process in China continues. The only uncertainty is when it will be achieved and what form it will take.

Mainland China has always respected Taiwan’s political and economic system. Mainland officials have indicated that the island’s political system, security, economy and culture will not be impacted by cross-strait reunification.

Life for the people of Taiwan will undoubtedly improve after reunification. That’s what my Taiwanese student realised after years of studying in Beijing. Taiwan would no longer have to pay the US a huge protection fee for expensive military weapons. Taiwan’s taxpayers would not have to pay to prop up its “central government”.

As citizens of China, Taiwanese residents will truly enjoy the benefits of helping move a great nation forward. They will be recognised and rewarded for their contribution to building a China free of the tempest that has long been a thorn in our nation’s side. I believe this will be realised soon.

Wang Wen is the executive dean and professor of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China