China Warns West Not to Cross Red Line on Taiwan

The Communist Party of China's strategy for resolving the Taiwan issue must be implemented and the One-China principle upheld, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged in his first speech since being elected for a third term on Monday.

Xi also underlined that the 1992 consensus between Beijing and Taipei must be maintained.

At the closing session of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, he stated that "The complete reunification of the motherland is the common aspiration of all Chinese people and the meaning of national rejuvenation. One should actively promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and resolutely oppose interference by outside forces and separatist activities aimed at achieving Taiwan independence."

Shen Shishun, a senior researcher at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, is confident that the Chinese leader's message will reach the United States and western countries.

"President Xi Jinping's statements on respecting the 'One China' principle and the '1992 Consensus' are in line with China's approach of making every effort to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully," he told Sputnik.

According to the researcher, China has taken, is taking and will continue to take a firm stance and handle the coasts of the Taiwan Strait with great wisdom. Meanwhile, the will of the Chinese government and people against outside forces and separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence" is undeniably strong.

"Anyone who tries to undermine China's position will get what he deserves, and no country can stand in the way of China's firm determination to reunify the shores of the Taiwan Strait, which is an important part of defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity. In fact, Foreign Minister Qin Gang has already said on the issue of the Taiwan Strait coastline relations that if the Taiwan issue is not properly resolved, it will cause severe shocks to China-US relations," Shen said.

“China is very resolute on this issue. I am sure that now, in an information-intensive society, the US and western countries that are trying to create chaos in the Taiwan Strait will surely heed this signal from the Chinese leadership. In the future, no matter how the fate of the world changes, China will continue to resolutely and unswervingly pursue its chosen path of development. No one can deny China's right to survival and development and prevent it from completing the great work of peaceful reunification.”

On the same day as Xi's remarks, at a press conference following the National People's Congress session, Chinese State Council Premier Li Qiang pledged that authorities will work to encourage more Taiwanese to come and do business in mainland China. Restoring normal cross-strait cooperation is a common goal of both Beijing and Taipei, he said.

In an interview with Sputnik, Alexander Lomanov, an expert on Chinese politics and deputy director of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS), noted that China intends to resolve the Taiwan issue in close coordination with the country's development and security coordination.

He also noted that China's policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged. A peaceful, constructive solution to the Taiwan issue based on economic cooperation and dialogue continues to be China's preference in all respects. At the same time, the possible scenario of the future reunification of the mainland with Taiwan has a new meaning compared to what it was 10-20 years ago.

"Judging from Xi Jinping's remarks at the meetings of the 'two sessions,' the principle of coordinating development and security interests is gradually being circulated and recognized in China. In fact, the alignment of development and security is a new requirement for China. The challenges and threats to its security have become so complex and serious that a mutual balance between development and security is necessary," he explained.

"There can be no development strategy that is carried out in isolation from consideration of China's comprehensive security. And that is external and internal security, which includes the economy, politics, and domestic development. This includes the serious challenges that China is now facing due to increasing western pressure and the US policy of containment," he said.

According to Lomanov, the United States is failing to live up to its commitments on Taiwan, thus undermining China's interests.

"On the one hand, the US constantly emphasizes that it seems to remain committed to the One-China policy, to the spirit of the joint communiques. On the other hand, moving the 'red line' on the Taiwan issue closer and closer to China by undermining Chinese interests has become something of a daily routine for Americans. There is a political consensus in the US in favor of both pressuring China and using Taiwan as a card in the big game against China," he said.

"At the press conference, [Premier] Li Qiang expressed correct and constructive ideas on both Sino-US relations and the development of cross-Strait relations. However, many of his correct and constructive proposals cannot be implemented unilaterally by the efforts of the Chinese side alone. What is urgently needed here is a reciprocal desire on the part of the Americans, who always want to create "obstacles" for China. Unless the US has the same constructive desire to draw a line in the sand and stop using Taiwan as an instrument of pressure on the mainland, there will be no breakthrough for the better in bilateral relations.”

In a meeting with journalists, Li Qiang, the new Premier of China's State Council, described cooperation between China and the United States as "promising".

Citing Chinese statistics, he noted that trade turnover between the two countries reached a record high of nearly $760 billion last year. Reflecting on his own experience in Shanghai, Li Qiang said that the top multinational executives he spoke with were optimistic about the future of Shanghai and China, and all believed that cooperation was the right way to achieve mutually beneficial results.

"Containment and pressure will benefit no one," he said.