Beijing wants peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but foreign powers meddling in Chinese domestic affairs and encouraging secession on the self-ruled island make it necessary to retain the use of force as an option, a Chinese white paper has said.
“We will work with the greatest sincerity and exert our utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification. But we will not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures,” said the policy document, which was released on Wednesday.
The contingency is necessary “to guard against external interference and all separatist activities,” according to the paper, and does not target “our fellow Chinese in Taiwan.” Beijing stated that it would resort to violence only if forced to do so in the event of other parties crossing its red lines.
The white paper sets out China’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan, based on history, international law and the aspirations of the people of China. It said cross-strait relations have vastly improved over the decades. Beijing sees peaceful reunification under the “one country, two systems” arrangement – which would allow Taipei to preserve its domestic policies – as the ultimate goal of its Taiwan policy.