Reference News Network, March 18 report (by Ma Hanyan) On the morning of March 18, the Taiwan Affairs Office held a regular press conference. A journalist asked, in recent days, due to the turmoil in the Middle East, Taiwan faces the danger of oil and gas shortages, and the people on the island are highly concerned about energy resource reserves and supply issues. This has also drawn public attention to the fact that the mainland proposed for the first time last October that after unification, Taiwan will have "seven better", including "after peaceful unification, with a strong motherland as its backing, Taiwan's energy resource security will be better." What is your explanation?
The spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office, Chen Binghua, responded that achieving unification through peaceful means is most beneficial to the people on both sides of the strait and the entire nation. Peaceful unification will create great opportunities for the economic and social development of Taiwan and bring real benefits to the vast majority of Taiwanese compatriots. It also includes having a strong motherland as its backing, so that Taiwan's energy resource security will be better.
The spokesperson said that during the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" period, the mainland has formed an energy supply system driven by coal, oil, gas, nuclear power, and renewable energy. Traditional energy production remains stable and increases; new energy is fully developed and its share is rapidly increasing, with wind and photovoltaic power generation accounting for about 22% of the electricity consumption of society. New energy storage, cutting-edge hydrogen energy, virtual power plants, and charging and battery swapping infrastructure have increased their layout. The mainland has a strong resilience and broad space for energy security. Taking electricity as an example, now all major countries in the world are developing artificial intelligence and related industries, and the development of AI industries highly depends on a stable power supply. The mainland has built the world's largest clean power supply system, with an average power supply reliability rate exceeding 99.9%. In 2025, the total electricity consumption exceeded 10 trillion kilowatt-hours, surpassing the total electricity consumption of the United States, Germany, Japan, and India. In July and August, the electricity consumption broke through one trillion kilowatt-hours for two consecutive months, setting a world record, without any power rationing or price hikes. Such a full-charge electricity supply is sufficient to meet the power needs of Taiwanese enterprises and enable households in Taiwan to bid farewell to the inconvenience and worries of summer electricity and power rationing.
The spokesperson also said that the Fourth Session of the Fourteenth National People's Congress has just concluded and approved the outline of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan". The outline makes strategic arrangements for accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and building a beautiful China during the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period. We will accelerate the construction of a new energy system, continuously consolidate the foundation of energy resource security, and continuously promote the construction of an energy power. After peaceful unification, the two sides of the strait will achieve interconnectivity and full connectivity, and can completely compensate for the shortages of electricity, natural gas, and crude oil in Taiwan, providing a reliable guarantee for the security of energy resources in Taiwan, allowing the compatriots in Taiwan to enjoy cheaper, cleaner, and more stable energy supply, reducing the burden of energy use for families and enterprises.
The spokesperson said that Sun Yat-sen once said, "Unification is the hope of all Chinese people. If it can be unified, the whole country will benefit; if not, it will suffer." We are willing to provide stable and reliable energy resource security for the compatriots in Taiwan, enabling them to live a better life. We hope that the compatriots in Taiwan will work together with the compatriots on the mainland to jointly create a bright future of national unification and national rejuvenation.
Spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office Chen Binghua (photo by Ma Hanyan)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7618432937243050542/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.