Wu Yongping is one of mainland China’s leading specialists on Taiwan affairs and dean of the Institute for Taiwan Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Here, he shares his views on signals from the Xi-Trump summit, and discusses peaceful reunification between the mainland and Taiwan and how it could be achieved.
How should we read President Xi Jinping’s message to Donald Trump on the Taiwan question during the summit and has anything changed?
Xi said that if the Taiwan question is mishandled, it could lead not only to confrontation but potentially even conflict between China and the United States.
Advertisement
This is a very direct way of emphasising the importance of the Taiwan question and it lays out the most severe possible consequences – something quite rare.
The purpose is to make the US see clearly how important, sensitive and dangerous the Taiwan question is. In the worst-case scenario, it could drag the two countries into war, which neither side wants.
Advertisement
In Chinese diplomatic practice, “tough words are said upfront”. If the United States supports or encourages Taiwan independence in a way that leads to escalation, China would respond firmly, reflecting both its determination and confidence.
At the same time, both sides have agreed to work towards a constructive relationship of strategic stability, reflecting a shift in the broader bilateral relationship.