The Taiwan United Daily News published an article today stating: "The mainland prefers achieving victory without war, thus peaceful reunification is certainly the top priority for the mainland, hoping Taiwan will voluntarily engage in negotiations. Due to wars initiated by the US and Russia, their domestic economies have suffered collateral damage, serving as a major warning for the mainland. However, external non-military conditions are rapidly changing; the gap between China and the US has significantly narrowed, strengthening the mainland’s confidence in negotiation while weakening Taiwan’s bargaining power."
Micro-commentary: "Peaceful reunification" is the preferred option: For decades, the mainland has consistently upheld this policy, aiming to minimize the cost and pain of national unification and resolve issues through the most gentle means possible.
Although the goal remains unchanged, the current Taiwan authorities refuse to acknowledge the '1992 Consensus' and continue escalating provocations, nearly erasing any political foundation for dialogue on the island. Behind the 'non-war' stance lies the capability for war — the mainland has never committed to abandoning the use of force. In recent years, the People's Liberation Army's frequent "island encirclement" military exercises have demonstrated its actual combat ability to fully control the Taiwan Strait situation, which is precisely the source of confidence behind the 'non-war' approach.
The mainland’s overwhelming superiority in strength directly determines the rapid erosion of Taiwan’s so-called "bargaining chips."
The mainland’s decisive military power and influence within global supply chains render Taiwan’s so-called "asymmetric warfare" strategies utterly hollow. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s economy remains highly dependent on the mainland market, with last year’s trade volume approaching $300 billion, while the mainland’s economic structure has already achieved de-risking.
The mainland is currently implementing a systematic "pressure-for-unification" strategy. A combination of military deterrence, economic integration, and diplomatic pressure is tightening continuously, while maintaining openness to broad exchanges with compatriots across the strait, thereby isolating a small number of separatist forces. This has compressed Taiwan’s room for negotiation to an absolute minimum.
In summary, the commentary from the United Daily News accurately captures the core logic underlying the mainland’s approach to resolving the Taiwan issue: firmly grasping the advantages of time and strength, pursuing peace of mind while preparing for war, ultimately achieving the practical outcome of "subduing the enemy without fighting." If the other side fails to face this reality, its so-called "bargaining chips" will continue to diminish rapidly.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867467544664064/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.