Global Times says Beijing should ‘punish militarily’ any moves to undermine One China policy – which US president-elect has said he might not uphold

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

China should plan to take Taiwan by force and make swift preparations for a military incursion, a Communist party-controlled newspaper has said, after US president-elect Donald Trump broke decades of diplomatic protocol in the region.

Before he even assumes the presidency, Trump has called into question the longstanding US foreign policy of maintaining formal relations with Beijing instead of Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province. He also spoke directly with Taiwan’s president, the first such contact since 1979. Both moves have infuriated China.

What is the One China policy? "One China" is an arrangement dating back to the 1970s under which countries can maintain formal diplomatic relations with China or Taiwan, but not both. After the Communists won the Chinese civil war in 1949, defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan. Both Beijing and Taipei claimed sovereignty over the entirety of China. Taiwan’s official name is the Republic of China. Until 1971, Taiwan held China’s seat at the United Nations and the following years saw a wave of states switch to recognise the Beijing government. The US formally established relations with China in 1979, but maintains informal ties with Taiwan.

In response, the Global Times, a state-run tabloid that sometimes reflects views from within the Communist party, said on Thursday that China should rebalance its stance towards Taiwan to “make the use of force as a main option and carefully prepare for it”.

“The Chinese mainland should display its resolution to recover Taiwan by force,” the paper wrote in an editorial. If Taiwan were to declare formal independence, it went on, “the Chinese mainland can in no time punish them militarily”.

China has worked in recent years to deepen trade ties with the democratic, self-governing island with an eye toward an eventual unification. But the ruling Communist party has taken a tougher stance on Taiwan since the election earlier this year of President Tsai Ing-wen, whose party is seen as less keen on cosying up to mainland China.

“The military status quo across the Taiwan Straits needs to be reshaped as a response and punishment to the current administration of [Tsai],” the Global Times said.

Chinese officials have already used less drastic “punishments”, such as limiting the number of mainland tourists to Taiwan and hinting at curtailing investments.

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But while Taiwan is already feeling the brunt of China’s rage, the US could be next after Trump moves into the White House.

The president-elect has said he may use the One China policy, under which the US formally recognises Beijing over Taiwan, as a bargaining chip in future negotiations.

“I fully understand the One China policy, but I don’t know why we have to be bound by a One China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

China swiftly responded to the comments, describing the One China principle as the “political bedrock” of ties between the two countries.

“We urge the incoming US administration and its leaders to fully recognise the sensitivity of the Taiwan question … [and] to properly deal with Taiwan-related matters in a prudent manner so as not to disrupt or damage the overall interests of the bilateral relationship,” China’s foreign ministry said.

The Global Times suggested pointing more missiles at Taiwan as leverage in negotiations with the island.

“If the Chinese mainland won’t pile on more pressure over realising reunification by using force, the chance of peaceful unification will only slip away,” it said. “Peace does not belong to cowards.”

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The threat of military action has loomed over Taiwan’s population since the 1950s. In the most dramatic confrontation, China fired missiles into the waters separating it from Taiwan in the run-up to the first free elections in 1996. In response, the US sailed an aircraft carrier through the strait in a show of solidarity.

On Wednesday, China’s ambassador to the United States said Beijing would never bargain with Washington over issues involving its national sovereignty or territorial integrity.

Cui Tiankai, speaking to executives of top US companies, said China and the United States needed to work to strengthen their relationship.

“Basic norms of international relations should be observed, not ignored, certainly not be seen as something you can trade off,” he said.

“And indeed, national sovereignty and territorial integrity are not bargaining chips. Absolutely not. I hope everybody would understand that.”

He did not specifically mention Taiwan or Trump’s comments.

Reuters contributed to this report.