Beijing is counterattacking, protesting with the United States and Japan over the quick congratulations sent Saturday to William Lai, winner of Taiwan's presidential election. The island, considered rebellious, “is still part of 'One China,'” despite the vote that rewarded the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate who held autonomous positions. Foreign Minister Wang Yi made it clear in his speech in Cairo, where he is visiting, that the vote could not change the basic facts: Taiwan “was never a country. It hasn't been in the past and certainly won't be in the future either,” said a statement from Beijing diplomacy. In other words, independence “is a dead end. China will eventually complete reunification and Taiwan will return to the embrace of the motherland. We believe that the international community will continue to support the just cause of the Chinese people resisting separatist activities.” We are fighting for national reunification based on the principle of “One China,” Wang concluded, reiterating the principle that There is only one China in the world, of which Taiwan is an “inalienable” part.
Further information: Photo agency ANSA Lai wins in Taiwan. But China, “inevitable reunification” – Asia – Ansa.it After the three-way race, continuity wins. Beijing's pressure has no effect
The day after the election, the Dragon was busy downplaying the Lai factor and protesting against the congratulations that various countries had been extremely quick to send to the elected president, particularly directed at the diplomatic chiefs of the United States and Japan To remember the indissoluble relations between Taipei and the People's Republic. Many analysts viewed the response without military force as evidence that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), despite its unprecedented third-term victory, has lost its overall majority in parliament, and Beijing may feel reassured. During the last DPP minority government 20 years ago, the KMT nationalists blocked various budgets for the purchase of weapons. However, it is unlikely to happen again this time as China's military power has increased dramatically since then and the Taiwanese public perceives a more serious threat.
The fact is that President Xi Jinping's strategy for the island has failed. The elections provided favorable conditions for a breakthrough, but China's military and economic pressure could not sway the outcome in its favor. The moment when expectations collapsed dates back to a Thursday evening in November 2023, when representatives of the two opposition parties favoring a resumption of talks with China (KMT and People's Party) met in a conference room at the Grand Hyatt in Taipei to discuss joint projects and alliances: These attempts failed, ending in a televised torrent of public insults between their respective leaders, which went down in the annals as a moment of unprecedented chaos in Taiwanese politics. Instead, “it’s not just Lai’s victory that worries Beijing now. The fact that the DPP has won three unprecedented presidential elections in a row suggests that Taiwan is further than ever from believing it is part of China,” noted Derek via Grossman, an analyst at Rand Corporation.
As for the possible options, the Atlantic Council's Wen Ti-sung gave his suggestive reading: Beijing can “promote military action or wield the economic stick while continuing to fail, or change and find a peaceful way out with Taiwan.” Meanwhile, a delegation of former US officials arrived in Taipei in the evening for “private” post-election meetings: former national security adviser Stephen Hadley, former deputy secretary of state James Steinberg and Laura Rosenberger, president of the American Institute in Taiwan (Ait). de facto US embassy in Taipei. Starting tomorrow, they will meet “a number of leading political figures” to convey the U.S. people's congratulations to Taiwan on the success of the vote. Meanwhile, Lai thanked Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the congratulatory message: “The Taiwan-US partnership is guided by our shared values and interests – he wrote further to promote democracy, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”
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