China commits to making every effort towards achieving ‘peaceful reunification’ with Taiwan

China is committed to making every effort to achieve “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan, while also taking all necessary actions to protect its territorial integrity, as stated by the foreign ministry on Monday. Despite the Taiwanese government’s opposition, China asserts that Taiwan, which operates as a democracy, is part of its territory. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has emphasized that the future of Taiwan should be determined solely by its people.

During last week’s annual parliamentary meeting in China, Foreign Minister Wang Yi informed reporters that Taiwan would never be recognized as an independent “country,” asserting that support for “Taiwan independence” constitutes interference in China’s domestic matters.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, expressed that China is “willing to do our utmost to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity” in response to inquiries about Wang’s statements regarding Taiwan. She added, “At the same time, China will take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolutely oppose Taiwan independence and external interference.”

In recent years, Beijing has intensified its military pressure on Taiwan, conducting multiple rounds of military exercises and maintaining the possibility of using force to assert control over the island.

The United States remains Taiwan’s primary arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations, and there is no defense treaty in place as there is with Japan and South Korea. Mao urged the United States to halt its arms sales to Taiwan and to cease all military engagements with the island. She cautioned that “the Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests and the first insurmountable red line in Sino-U.S. relations.”