In a June 17, 2022 article published on the Chinese Communist Party media outlet Guancha.cn, Hong Kong expert Shiu Sin-por, executive director of The New Paradigm Foundation and former head of the Hong Kong government's Central Policy Unit, wrote that Beijing should find the language to make the U.S. understand that China will achieve reunification with Taiwan. Stressing that Taiwan will "inevitably return to the embrace of its motherland," he added that China "can't always respond passively" in the Taiwan Strait.
Below is his article:[1]
Shiu Sin-por (Source: K.Y. Cheng)
'China's National Strength Will Be Greatly Enhanced After Reunification'
"... If the United States cannot maintain the status quo of the separation of Taiwan and the mainland, it will immediately lose the confidence and dependence of Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and even the entirety of Southeast Asia. Not to mention that China's national strength will be greatly enhanced after reunification. The United States is unwilling to face the consequences of this shift in the status quo. This is the delicate role of the Taiwan issue in China- U.S. relations at present and for a long time to come.
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"In fact, in the process of normalizing U.S. relations with China, the so-called 'Six Assurances' that the U.S. secretly committed to Taiwan (now made public) include: there is no guaranteed date by which the U.S. will end arms sales to Taiwan; no commitment to seek approval from China on future arms sales to Taiwan; not to act as an intermediary between the two sides of the strait; not to amend the "Taiwan Relations Act"; not to change its position on Taiwan's "sovereignty"; and not to ask Taiwan to negotiate with the mainland.
"These 'Six Assurances' fully reflect the basic attitude and position of the United States on the Taiwan issue. Unless the United States changes or abandons these six assurances, it will be extremely difficult for China to achieve reunification through peaceful means even if Sino-U.S. relations are not as tense as they are now.
"Not allowing Taiwan to reunify with the mainland is the basic Taiwan policy of the United States – no matter which political party is in power, and who is the president in the White House. Dr. Henry Kissinger's recent speech did deviate far from this bottom line either. Kissinger's keynote [speech] argued not to let the Taiwan issue become the core issue of Sino-U.S. relations, but his opinions on the situation in the Taiwan Strait and how to deal with it are that neither side should make any moves – the United States should not make any petty challenges, and China must be patient, continue to insist on peacefully reunifying Taiwan, and not change the status quo of the past 40 years.
'We Can't Always Respond Passively'
"The core of the 'Six Assurances' of the United States to Taiwan is 'no unification.' If we have a clear understanding of the basic attitude of the United States towards Taiwan and the overall situation of Sino-U.S. relations, we should understand that if we only express our will and determination to maintain the territorial integrity of our country, and show our ability to unify, and then always look at the United States, trying to lure it with some benefits, opening up our market to them, and explaining that we have no ambition to compete for hegemony and to change the world order, we would not change the attitude of the United States towards Taiwan.
"President Xi Jinping's speech at the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers' War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (Korean War) last year is also very applicable to the current situation in the Taiwan Strait. President Xi said: 'The Chinese people know very well that when dealing with aggressors, we must have a dialogue with them in a language they can understand - this is to use war to stop war, to use force to stop force, to win peace and respect with victory.'
"Now is the time to reconsider what language and method we should use so that Americans can understand and accept the reality that China will surely achieve reunification, and Taiwan will inevitably return to the embrace of its motherland.
"In addition to carrying out our own business, what else can we do about the U.S.? In the Taiwan Strait, and on the island of Taiwan, what else can we do? We can't always respond passively. We must seize the initiative. These are the biggest national development issues and diplomatic issues we are currently facing."
[1] Guancha.cn/ShaoShanBo/2022_06_17_645010_s.shtml, June 17, 2022.
