China vows to create ‘overwhelming strategic advantage’ over Taiwan as invasion fears rise
CHINA has vowed to create an “overwhelming strategic advantage” over neighbour Taiwan as invasion fears up another gear, it has emerged.
By JOSEPH CAREY
Express.co.uk
Mon, Dec 25, 2017
Liu Junchuan, the head of the liaison office of China’s policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office, declared that Beijing favours a “one country, two systems” approach to reunification it claims would be attractive to the Taiwanese people.
He said: “The swift development and massive changes in the mainland of the motherland are creating an increasingly strong attraction for the people of Taiwan.
“The contrast in power across the Taiwan Strait will become wider and wider, and we will have a full, overwhelming strategic advantage over Taiwan.
“The economic, political, social, cultural and military conditions for achieving the complete reunification of the motherland will become even more ample.
“The basic situation of the Taiwan Strait continuing to develop in a direction beneficial to us will not change, and time and momentum are on our side.”
A “one country, two systems” approach is similar to that of Hong Kong that operates independently of China in all areas of government except foreign relations and military defence.
The government of Taiwan has insisted that only its people can decide the future of the island.
Relations between Taipei, the Taiwan capital, and Beijing have frayed since a pro-independence party won elections last year.
Island leader Tsai Ing-wen has explained her desire for peace with Xi Jinping, but has warned that any threat to national security will result in defensive moves.
Despite the increased fears of a forthcoming invasion, China insisted that its moves were part of an effort to “reasonably” expand its islands in the South China Sea in a new government report.
As China seemingly pushes to bring Taiwan into its sphere of influence, Xi Jinping has initiated a series of persistent drills in an effort to tighten his grip on the island.
Last week saw Chinese jets carry out “island encirclement patrols” around Taiwan – state media showed pictures of bombers armed with cruise missiles.
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