[ad_1]
HONG KONG, Oct. 24 (SCMP): Beijing will not allow any force to divide the nation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech marking the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, in a thinly veiled reference. to Taiwan.
In the fierce nationalist speech, Xi blamed the United States for having a Cold War mentality in 1950 and for deploying its seventh fleet in the Taiwan Straits two days after the conflict began.
Xi said that as China had modernized, the nation was more determined to safeguard its national interests and its territory.
Get the latest insights and analysis from our global impact newsletter on the great stories originating from China.
“We would never allow anyone or any force to invade and divide the sacred territory of our homeland,” he said, adding that if “such a serious situation occurs” it will be addressed “head on.”
Xi Jinping Says China ‘Is Determined To Defeat Invaders’ In Korean War Anniversary Speech
Relations between China and the United States have fallen to their lowest point in decades. This year, the United States sent high-ranking officials to Taiwan and signed arms deals with the island.
In an article published Thursday in America’s largest Chinese-language newspaper, World magazineUS presidential candidate Joe Biden said he would deepen ties with Taiwan if elected to the White House.
“That includes deepening our ties with Taiwan, a leading democracy, a great economy, a technological powerhouse, and a shining example of how an open society can effectively contain Covid-19,” he said.
Relations between mainland China and Taiwan, which have been ruled separately since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, have worsened since Tsai Ing-wen, who is leaning toward independence, was elected president of the island in 2016.
Beijing has accused Taipei of trying to harm its interests and support the protesters in Hong Kong. It has also used its military might to try to intimidate the island. But Taipei said it would never give in to pressure and urged its allies to continue helping in its defense.
Five Key Takeaways From Xi Jinping’s Korean War Anniversary Speech
Chen Ming-tong, head of the Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council, told a seminar on Friday that Taiwan would defend itself because “admitting inferiority and giving in will not bring peace.”
He also accused Beijing of “seriously undermining the understanding of long-term non-aggression between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.”
“These provocations have seriously undermined the status quo of the Taiwan Strait. They have also increased regional tension and eroded the long-term tacit understanding between the two parties based on non-aggression and mutual restraint. “
Describing the future challenges in defending Taiwan as “daunting,” Chen called on nations that had “come together on the basis of shared values to join Taiwan in defending this critical front line of defense of democracy and democracy. freedom”.
He also urged Beijing to develop a new mindset for cross-strait development based on “goodwill and mutual respect.”
Post-Election, U.S.-China Dialogue on Taiwan Must Resume, Analysts Say
Lim John Chuan -tiong, a former researcher at the Taiwan Academy of Sinica, said that while Xi’s message was aimed primarily at domestic and American audiences, he also “indirectly warned Taipei not to cling too tightly to US power.”
The cross-strait relationship will remain strained in the run-up to the US elections, he said, as Beijing was “very alarmed” by the closer relationship between Taipei and Washington.
“Biden’s letter is very important,” he said. “This is probably the first time that a candidate [in the US presidential election] expressed his opinion on Taiwan in a document that has a large readership in Taiwan. That clearly shows that the Taiwan issue will continue to heat up, no matter who wins the election. “- South China Morning Post
[ad_2]
