By James Pomfret and Yimou Lee
(Reuters) -Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday China would “firmly advance” the push for “reunification” with Taiwan while opposing external interference, and strive to work with regular Taiwanese to realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, despite the objection of the government in Taipei, and has ramped up its military pressure against the island in recent years, including holding several rounds of major war games.
“We will firmly advance the cause of China’s reunification and work with our fellow Chinese in Taiwan to realise the glorious cause of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” Li wrote in his annual work report to China’s parliament.
In his work report last year, Li reiterated a call for “reunification” with Taiwan, but added emphasis that it wants to “be firm” in doing so and dropped the descriptor “peaceful”, which had been used in previous reports.
Beijing has consistently pushed for reunification with Taiwan, and again said it would “resolutely oppose” separatist activities pushing for Taiwan independence. But its appeal to work with “fellow Chinese in Taiwan” to help rejuvenate the Chinese nation wasn’t mentioned in the work report last year.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future. He has repeatedly offered talks with China, which has rebuffed him, saying he is a “separatist”.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
Amid geopolitical tensions between China and the U.S. and as President Donald Trump ratchets up pressure on Beijing including through tariffs, China said it opposed “external interference” on the Taiwan issue. It said it was committed to a foreign policy of peace to “oppose hegemonism and power politics, oppose unilateralism and protectionism in all forms.”
Taiwan’s top China policy-making Mainland Affairs Council was not immediately available to comment.
A senior Taiwan official familiar with the government’s China policy said Beijing’s tone on Taiwan hadn’t changed much, signalling Taiwan wasn’t at the top of its political agenda which had prioritised the economy and relations with the U.S.
“They want to reiterate their agenda of the ‘big exchange across the strait’,” the official said, pointing out the paragraph on Taiwanese people as a sign of possible ramping up of China’s tactics to bolster Beijing’s reach abroad including co-opting Taiwanese through various exchanges including culture and religion.
“But they only allow cross-strait exchanges that serve their political agenda and block those who don’t. It’s obvious that those exchanges are just political means.”
March marks the 20th anniversary of China’s “anti-secession” law, which gives Beijing the legal authority to use force on Taiwan if it secedes or if the “possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted”, but the law is vague and does not give details.
(Reporting by James Pomfret, Yimou Lee and Laurie Chen; Editing by Sandra Maler and Lincoln Feast.)
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