TAIPEI: As United States decided to congratulate Taiwan’s President TsaiIng-wen on her Wednesday inauguration, China has termed it a “dangerous”decision.
The self-ruled island has become the latest flashpoint between the world’stwo largest economies.
Taiwanese voters handed Tsai a second term with a landslide win in January,a vocal rebuke of China’s ongoing campaign to isolate the island.
She was sworn in for another four years at a ceremony on Wednesday in whichshe called on China to live peacefully alongside a self-ruled Taiwan andfor a lowering of tensions.
But a congratulatory note from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailingTsai’s “courage and wisdom” sparked a rebuke from Beijing, which bristlesat any formal recognition of Taipei.
“It is extremely wrong, and it’s also very dangerous,” China’s defenceministry said.
Beijing’s foreign ministry said it was “extremely indignant” at the messageand accused Washington of breaching its diplomatic commitments.
Tsai, 63, is loathed by Beijing because her party views Taiwan as a defacto sovereign state and not part of “one China”.
Since she first came to office in 2016, China has rebuffed offers of talksand ramped up economic, military and diplomatic pressure on the island.’A way to coexist’
Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to seize it byforce if necessary.
Washington diplomatically recognises Beijing but remains a major ally forTaiwan and is bound by Congress to provide arms sales to ensure its defence.
Under President Donald Trump, ties between Taipei and Washington havefurther warmed as China-US relations plummet.
Beijing envisages a “one country, two systems” model that — like nearbyHong Kong — would allow Taiwan to keep some freedoms while submitting toChinese mainland rule.
But Tsai made clear during her inauguration speech that the concept was anon-starter.
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“We will not accept the Beijing authorities’ use of ‘one country, twosystems’to downgrade Taiwan and undermine the cross-strait status quo,” shesaid.
Tsai renewed her offer of talks with Beijing.
“Both sides have a duty to find a way to coexist over the long term andprevent the intensification of antagonism and differences,” she added.Taiwanese identity
Taiwan has been ruled separately from the mainland since 1949 after theNationalists lost a civil war to the Communists and fled to the island toset up a rival government.
For decades, Taiwan’s leaders — and many voters — saw themselves as thetrue representatives for all of China, even as the vast majority of nationsswitched diplomatic recognition to Beijing. But as the island moved from anautocracy to a democracy from the 1990s, a distinct Taiwanese identity hasemerged with many no longer seeking any kind of reunification with China.
That has caused growing concern in Beijing, which says any formaldeclaration of independence by Taipei would cross a red line.
After Tsai’s speech, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office warned it would “nevertolerate” the island’s separation.
Analysts said Tsai’s speech was in fact conciliatory.
“President Tsai has drawn clear lines and established a fewnon-negotiables, while making sufficient rhetorical concessions that,should it want to, the leadership in Beijing could meet her half-way,” J.Michael Cole, a Taipei-based fellow with the University of Nottingham’sTaiwan Studies Programme, told AFP.
“She is also assuring the US that she won’t be rash and won’t become atroublemaker,” added Fan Shih-ping, a political scientist at NationalTaiwan Normal University.
Tsai’s inauguration was also a chance for her to celebrate Taiwan’ssuccessful fight against the coronavirus.
Despite its close proximity and economic links with China, Taiwan hasmanaged to contain its own outbreak to just seven deaths and has sentprotection equipment aid packages around the world. – APP/AFP
