China-Taiwan tensions over island heighten

President of China, Xi Jinping, has said that the country must reunify with Taiwan amidst the heightened tensions.

Mr. Xi said that they must achieve unification peacefully. He further warned that the Chinese people have a glorious tradition that opposes separatism. In response, Taiwan said that its future is laying in the hands of its people.

Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state. China, on the other hand, views it as a breakaway province. Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this unification.

The intervention of Mr. Xi is coming after China has sent a record number of military jets into the air defense zone of China. Some analysts say that the flights can be seen as a warning to the president of Taiwan ahead of the island’s national day on Sunday.

The defense minister of China said that the tensions between them are at their worst in 40 years. But the remarks of the president of China were more conciliatory than the last major intervention on Taiwan in July. There he pledged to smash any kind of attempt at the independence of Taiwan.

He said the unification in a peaceful way was most in line with the overall interests of the Chinese nation and the Taiwan compatriots.

But he added that no one must underestimate the staunch determination of Chinese people. Hence their firm will and strong ability to defend national sovereignty are unbreakable. Thus the historical task of reunification must take place.

Mr. Xi wants to see the unification occur under one country and two systems principle. But the presidential office of Taiwan said that they are rejecting this.

Despite these tensions, China previously tried to disrupt the presidential elections of Taiwan with missile tests in 1996. Mr. Biden has referred to the long-standing One China policy m which recognizes China rather than Taiwan. This agreement allows it to maintain a robust unofficial relationship with Taiwan. The US sells arms to Taiwan.

Credits: BBC