No one can stop the historical trend toward national reunification, President Xi Jinping said. Since 1949, China has remained committed to reunification, but only through peaceful means. The reunification policy is neither fictional nor a colonial aspiration; it is grounded in historical evidence and seeks to correct the injustices and wrongdoings of aggressors. According to historical records, Taiwan has always been an integral part of China. It was only separated from China by fascist forces during the century of humiliation, when China was weak. However, the dynamics have changed; China is a powerful force across the board. It has the will and capability to back it with force, but it still adheres to a policy of peaceful reunification.

Despite a clear policy, historical evidence, and a strong commitment to reunification, some forces are trying to create obstacles or complicate the process. Over the past few years, the USA and its allies have been relentlessly working to support Taiwan’s separatist forces. The process accelerated with the visit of Ms Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, to Taiwan in 2022. The USA believed that, through Ms Pelosi’s visit, it was helping Taiwan, supporting the separatists, and deterring China’s resolve by showing the strength of the USA. The separatists considered it a major victory and warmly welcomed and celebrated Ms Pelosi’s visit. The visit was carefully crafted to antagonise China and provoke an irrational response.

However, Ms Pelosi and the separatists were wrong. Contrary to expectations, China handled the situation calmly and wisely, showing no signs of panic or a knee-jerk reaction. Instead, China analysed the situation, the opponents’ objectives, the future implications, and the policy choices needed to counter. The analysis concluded that the visit was a clear deviation, rather than a violation, of the One China principle. Despite strong objections from China, the visit shows........

© Daily Times