Mainland dominance to prevail in cross-Straits ties (2)

A man from Taiwan stands in the souvenir shop he owns in Pingtan, Fujian province. LIN SHANCHUAN/XINHUA

Wrong signals

Bao, the cross-Straits relations expert, said that since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine erupted early last year, the US and other Western countries have attempted to confuse the dispute with the Taiwan question, which is China's domestic affair.

"In the past year, the US has brutally interfered in the Taiwan question to an unprecedented degree since it established diplomatic relations with China," he said.

By sending high-level delegations and members of Congress to visit Taiwan, Washington is conveying the wrong signals to separatist forces on the island and "touching the red line" drawn by the Chinese government on the Taiwan question, he said.

Bao said the military measures taken against Pelosi's visit sent a strong warning to foreign interference forces and "Taiwan independence" forces on the island, adding that although the military exercise in August ended quickly, it had a huge impact.

In an article published recently in Qiushi Journal, the Communist Party of China's flagship magazine, China's senior diplomat Wang Yi said that in adopting the countermeasures China demonstrated its firm determination to protect its sovereignty.

Wang said a total of more than 170 countries and international organizations have expressed strong support for the one-China principle.

Most countries stand with China on the right side of history, and the one-China consensus has been further consolidated in the international community, he added.

Bao said the countermeasures have made the US realize that if it continues to provoke Beijing, this will inevitably lead to a more serious conflict.

During a meeting between Xi and Biden in Bali, Indonesia, in November, Xi stressed that the Taiwan question is "at the very core of China's core interests", while Biden said he did not support "Taiwan independence".

Bao said that although there was a gap between what Biden reiterated in the meeting and actions taken by Washington, the US leader's policy on Taiwan remained clear.

"Biden's stated stance of not supporting 'Taiwan independence' provides an important political foundation for the return of stable Sino-US relations," he added.

Experts said there were positive changes in November, when Taiwan's ruling DPP, which sought confrontation with the mainland, lost in elections for city and county heads, demonstrating that its strategy of seeking "independence" by relying on foreign forces was unpopular with voters.

A recent opinion poll in Taiwan showed that some 47 percent of respondents were satisfied with the election results, while 28 percent were dissatisfied. About 56 percent thought that the DPP would be defeated in the island's leadership election next year.

According to the poll, conducted by Global Views Monthly last month, 59 percent of respondents said there should be more interaction between the two sides of the Straits, while 54 percent said they were not willing to go to war.

Song, head of the mainland's Taiwan affairs authority, said the election results show the pursuit of peace, stability and development is the mainstream view, and "resisting the mainland to protect Taiwan" is an unpopular idea among people on the island.

More Taiwan residents now realize that reunification is the general trend, and peaceful reunification is in the best interests of compatriots on both sides of the Straits and the entire nation, he said.

"As long as compatriots from the two sides work together, they can resolve this family matter," Song added.