CCP Issues Warning to Australia for Supporting Taiwan
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has made its most direct threat to Australia, warning of consequences if Australia supported Taiwan’s newly elected President, Lai Ching-te (William Lai), and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
In a statement to the Canberra, the Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian cautioned “If Australia is tied to the chariot of Taiwan separatist forces, the Australian people would be pushed over the edge of an abyss.”
Beijing had previously labeled Mr. Lai, the former vice president, as a “dangerous separatist” before the Jan. 13 election. On the eve of the vote, the Chinese defense ministry vowed to “crush” any move towards independence for the island.
It even went so far as to warn voters that he would bring “war and decline,” and cautioned against voting for someone who would threaten peace by following the “evil path” of Taiwan’s independence.
“Cherish Democracy,” New President Advises
Mr. Lai did nothing to assuage those concerns, portraying himself during the campaign as the defender of Taiwan’s democratic way of life.
He won comfortably with more than 40 percent of the vote from the 14 million who cast a ballot.
Tensions in the region are constant, with the CCP claiming Taiwan as part of its territory, and has not ruled out using force to seize the island one day.
The island is separated from the mainland by a 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait.
Absorption of Taiwan Inevitable, Says Xi
CCP leader Xi Jinping said in a recent New Year’s address that the “unification” of Taiwan and China was “inevitable.”
“We strongly deplore and firmly oppose this, and have made serious representations to the US side”, a CCP spokesperson said.
Possibility of An Accidental Conflict
There is now speculation as to whether Beijing will increase its aggression toward Taiwan, which already comprises a near-daily presence of Chinese warplanes and naval vessels around it.
Two former senior officials are set to meet “leading political figures” to extend the United States’ congratulations.
Canberra’s Stance May Have to Change
They even urge the Australian government to start negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement with the island nation, while deferring conflict with China and “develop[ing] contingency plans for the possibility of a full-scale PLA amphibious invasion across the Taiwan Strait.”
Meanwhile, the newly elected Taiwanese government is not set on a path of appeasement, immediately issuing a statement on Jan. 14 telling Beijing to accept the election outcome.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on the Beijing authorities to respect the election results, face reality, and give up suppressing Taiwan for positive cross-strait interactions to return to the right track”, it said.
Equally, the CCP stands firm. Although Mr. Lai is on record as opposing formal independence, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi felt it necessary to point out that the election did not change Taiwan’s status.
“Taiwan has never been a country. It wasn’t in the past, and it certainly won’t be in the future”, he said.
