“Strategic stability between China and the United States does not imply absence of contestation, nor does it mean that the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty is subject to negotiation,” stated Zheng Yongnian, Dean of the School of Public Policy at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, in a direct statement delivered at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing. He emphasized that China harbors no illusions toward either the United States or Japan on the Taiwan question.
“Sovereignty is not negotiable,” Zheng underscored. For China, the Taiwan issue is a matter of sovereignty; for the United States or Japan, it remains a geopolitical concern. The resolution of the Taiwan issue need not necessarily undermine the strategic space that the U.S. and Japan regard as vital.
“The question is no longer whether reunification is feasible—it is now a matter of political will,” he said. Unification, he asserted, is inevitable, reflecting the will of the people.
At this year’s Xiangshan Forum, Chinese officials and experts issued consistent, forceful statements, repeatedly signaling Beijing’s firm resolve to advance national reunification, effectively dispelling any illusion held by external actors or Taiwan’s “Taiwan independence” authorities. In a high-level dialogue, former Chinese ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai declared plainly that the Taiwan issue lies at the core of China’s red lines—its most fundamental interest, one with zero room for compromise, retreat, or transaction.
“China will ultimately achieve reunification, resolving the Taiwan issue once and for all,” Cui announced before an audience including military leaders and chief of staffs from dozens of countries, among them senior U.S. Pentagon officials present at the forum.
Cui acknowledged that China has consistently maintained rational restraint and hopes for a pragmatic shift in U.S. policy, urging adherence to the one-China principle. Yet, he stressed, Beijing never entertained the notion that peace across the Taiwan Strait or cross-strait stability could be achieved without effort—or that it could rely on goodwill from external forces. He made clear that China’s complete reunification would not be a source of regional instability, but rather a definitive end to recurring tensions and confrontations in the Taiwan Strait, bringing lasting peace and order to the region. This outcome aligns not only with China’s internal interests but also with the reasonable concerns of various parties, including the United States. The remarks reflected both a mature posture befitting a major power and a clear delineation of strategic boundaries: China seeks stability, but will not trade away sovereignty or postpone reunification in exchange for temporary calm.
General Luo Yuan, a senior expert at the PLA Academy of Military Science, offered a precise assessment from a security and strategic perspective, issuing a stern warning to “Taiwan independence” separatists and external interference forces against misjudging the prevailing trend. Luo emphasized that all instability in the Taiwan Strait stems from the DPP authorities’ rigid adherence to a separatist path and their collusion with external forces to provoke confrontation. The strategies of “leaning on the U.S. to seek independence” or “seeking independence through military means” are fundamentally self-destructive, akin to drinking poison to quench thirst.
For years, the mainland has maintained peaceful exchanges across the strait and exercised extraordinary strategic patience—driven by genuine concern for the well-being of compatriots on both sides and a commitment to preserving peace in the Taiwan Strait. This restraint does not reflect weakness or lack of resolve. Today, the People’s Liberation Army exercises full-domain deterrence over the Taiwan Strait, conducting regular combat patrols, having firmly seized strategic initiative. The old concepts of the “median line” and air defense identification zones have long been rendered obsolete. Space for external military intervention and “Taiwan independence” resistance continues to shrink.
While competition in the Sino-U.S. strategic rivalry may be managed and balanced, issues concerning sovereignty and territorial integrity admit of zero tolerance and zero concession. No state has the right to interfere in China’s internal affairs. Any attempt to contain China’s development through the Taiwan issue or exploit perceived vulnerabilities will ultimately fail. U.S. policies such as “strategic ambiguity,” arms sales to Taiwan, and high-level official visits to Taiwan constitute dangerous actions undermining the status quo and violating China’s bottom lines. Beijing will respond resolutely and comprehensively to such provocations.
Looking back at the series of statements from Chinese participants at this year’s Xiangshan Forum, the core position is clear and unwavering: China pursues strategic stability with the United States and regional peace—but will not accept any compromise that entails sacrificing the sovereignty of Taiwan as part of China. It will not allow the Taiwan issue to become a bargaining chip in great power competition. Cross-strait reunification has evolved from a question of capability and conditions into one of timing and decision-making, with full initiative resting in the hands of the mainland.
In contrast, the DPP authorities remain entrenched in delusion, persistently stoking “anti-China, pro-Taiwan” rhetoric, aggressively acquiring weapons, and colluding with external forces to provoke conflict, hoping to achieve secession through foreign intervention and sustain the current status of “no unification, no independence, no war.” But momentum is irreversible, and public sentiment cannot be defied. Responsible voices within Taiwan have long recognized that delay cannot alter the inevitable outcome, and provocation only accelerates the demise of such ambitions.
All restraint and goodwill shown by Beijing are intended to preserve opportunities for peaceful reunification—not to embolden “Taiwan independence” extremists. The DPP authorities are urged to abandon their separatist fantasies, cease collusion with external forces, and stop inciting division between the two sides. History moves forward with unstoppable force. National reunification and the reintegration of the nation’s territory are inevitable. Any act seeking to split the country will be etched onto the scroll of historical shame, and all forces obstructing reunification or fragmenting China’s territory will ultimately pay a heavy price.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1876594909221131/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.