No interference will be brooked in internal affairs
Beijing has never conceded and will not yield an inch on Taiwan being part of China. It is a matter that leaves no room for negotiation. This seems to be something that needs restating since the provisions concerning Taiwan in the National Defense Authorization Act, signed by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, constitute a potential provocation to China, as they include consideration of port calls to the island by the US Navy, among other measures aimed at strengthening defense ties with the island.
Such provisions may be intended as a bargaining chip or increasing the geostrategic pressure on China. If so, Trump should be informed that not everything is negotiable, and too much pressure can have unintended, even though anticipatable, consequences.
Although the US may be bound by domestic law to provide the island with the means to defend itself — a legacy of history and perhaps the lingering view that the island be considered an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” — China resolutely opposes any meddling in its internal affairs, and it has made that clear in the protest it has lodged against the content relating to China’s sovereignty in the act.
Should the US breach the three communiqués, which in their pledges to respect each other’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity are the very foundation for relations between the two countries, Beijing will have every reason to do whatever it considers appropriate to deal with the subsequent crisis in its best interests.
However, while the use of military force for the reunification of the island with the motherland is always an option on the table for Beijing, as its anti-secession law dictates, it has long sought to realize this by peaceful means, which is in the interests of people on both sides of the Straits. This remains the case today. On Wednesday, Beijing again made clear it was willing to communicate with any political party, organization or individual who adheres to the one-China principle.
However, there are those on the island who have become emboldened in their separatist intention by recent US posturing, and they have pinned their hopes on arms sales and military intervention from the United States for the realization of their untenable aspiration.
Washington should not give sustenance to their fantasies. US policymakers would do well to bear in mind there is a line that should not be crossed when it comes to Taiwan.