Chinese authorities on Wednesday reaffirmed their “zero tolerance” policy toward “separatist activities” in Taiwan and insisted that they will use force to “take control of the island” if necessary.
Beijing’s warning comes days after a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The Taiwan Affairs Office has now put on the table a set of guidelines on how to deal with Taiwan’s problems, including a range of economic incentives and “enhanced security and dignity” for the territory, while advocating increased military pressure. .
Chinese foreign minister accuses US of violating his sovereignty
“We are prepared to create a large space for peaceful reunification, but we will not make room for separatist activities,” says the document, which stresses that Beijing “will not renounce the use of force and will reserve the option to take all measures at its discretion.” scope if necessary.
However, he assures that China “will only be forced to take drastic measures to respond to the provocation of separatist elements or external forces that want to cross the red lines,” according to information from the Xinhua news agency.
Relations between the sides have worsened significantly since Tsai Ing Wen took over as Taiwan’s president in 2016. Neither she nor her party considers Taiwan to be part of China.
