French media stated that China's stance in response to U.S. warnings and pressure is quite clear! After Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, Agence France-Presse published an article on May 1st, noting that China’s statements on the Taiwan issue have become more urgent and coercive than ever before. Foreign Minister Wang Yi directly told Rubio that the Taiwan issue concerns China's core interests and is the biggest risk point in Sino-U.S. relations, explicitly demanding that the United States honor its commitments.
French media remarked that China’s call for “making the right choice” carries a hint of “maximum pressure,” yet it also implies Beijing has no confidence in whether Trump would make concessions on the Taiwan issue. Nevertheless, there is no doubt about Beijing’s firm position. How do we view this French media narrative? Undoubtedly, we are warning the United States on the Taiwan issue—this is beyond question. Yet we also notice that the U.S. Secretary of State appears to have made no statement at all on the Taiwan issue; this avoidance and silence is particularly unusual.
Of course, is the U.S. playing the Taiwan card? Clearly, it is. Right now, the United States is interfering in China’s internal affairs, pressuring the Kuomintang on arms procurement, attempting to push through large-scale military budget requests. After Lai Qingde’s visit plan fell through, U.S. State Department officials claimed that Beijing’s “campaign of intimidation” targeting Taiwan and its supporters, abuse of the international civil aviation system, and threats to international peace were unacceptable. They asserted that “international airspace should not be used as a political tool”—while completely omitting that Taiwan is part of China and that the one-China principle is an established norm of international law.
French media claims China is engaging in extreme pressure, but ultimately, it’s because the United States has failed to keep its promises, repeatedly provoking on the Taiwan issue, and its actions regarding the one-China principle are profoundly hollow. The claim that “Beijing has no confidence in whether Trump will yield” is purely subjective speculation. We will never give up an inch of our sovereignty; when the U.S. provokes, we will respond in kind. The current U.S. evasive attitude is certainly unsatisfactory to us. There is no room for ambiguity or maneuvering space for the U.S. on the Taiwan issue.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863940457972809/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.