Ahead of the presidential poll in Taiwan, China in a last-minute appeal asked Taiwanese voters to stand on the right side of history by opposing pro-independence forces on the island and supporting peaceful reunification.
In his New Year message to the people of Taiwan, Song Tao China’s point man on Taiwan said China unswervingly opposes “Taiwan independence”, safeguards peace, expands exchanges, enhances cooperation, deepens integration and advances reunification to ensure that cross-strait relations move in the right direction of peaceful development.
China claims the estranged island of Taiwan, which remained a democracy compared to China’s one-party rule of the ruling Communist Party, as part of the mainland. Song, who heads the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council or China’s Cabinet, also called on Taiwan compatriots to stand on the right side of history, bring cross-strait relations back onto the right track of peaceful development and advance the process of China’s peaceful reunification.
China is keeping a close watch on Taiwan’s Presidential election as the 19 million electorate of the estranged island set to elect a new leader on January 13 to replace the pro-independence Tsai Ing-wen, who stood firmly against China in her two-term Presidency spanning eight years. She is due to step down adhering to a two-term limit.
China calls her and her ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) separatists and tacitly backs the pro-Beijing Kuomintang (KMT) which advocates close ties with the mainland. Currently, three candidates are in the fray.
The DPP fielded Vice President William Lai Chiang-te. He was opposed by Hou Yup-ih from KMT and Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). Lai is the front runner, with Hou second and Ko in third, according to pre-poll surveys.
According to the survey, 82.7 per cent of Taiwanese think that the threat from China has increased in the last few years. Since President Xi Jinping took over power in 2012, China stepped up efforts to re-unify Taiwan strictly enforcing its One China policy, according to high military and diplomatic priority to it.
In the last few years, Beijing ramped up military pressure on Taiwan with massive air and naval deployment in the Taiwan Strait which separates the two, sparking global concerns about possible invasion.
In his New Year message on Sunday, Xi said China will surely be reunified and all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Reacting to Xi’s comments, Tsai hit back saying that the most important principle on what course to follow in relations with China was democracy. “This is taking the joint will of Taiwan’s people to make a decision. After all, we are a democratic country,” she told the media in Taipei on Monday.
Tsai, the first woman president of Taiwan, said China should respect the outcome of Taiwan’s election and it is the responsibility of both sides to maintain peace and stability in the strait.
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