China, which always wants a peaceful solution to the Taiwan issue, is visibly getting tired with the prolonged problem and they want to resolve it without further delay. There might be a chance for a peaceful settlement of the Taiwan issue as the US administration under Joe Biden, to be sure, would not be crazy to take another risk of further war just after the humiliating return from Afghanistan. Moreover the positive tone of Mr. Biden, pledging to abide by the Taiwan Agreement, may facilitate the expected peaceful settlement.
It has been established by the UN resolution that Taiwan is a province of mainland China. More than 50 years ago, the UN resolution was passed on 25 October 1971, recognising the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the only legitimate representative of China to the UN and removed the representative of Chiang Kai-Sek from the United Nations.
There are tree resolutions, two were adopted by the UN and another by the US Congress, declaring that Taiwan is an integral part of China and it will be called “the province of mainland China.”
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping would abide by the Taiwan Agreement. Following the remarks of Biden, the Taiwan diplomats sought clarification from their US ally. According to the Newsweek, Biden’s comments triggered a question about the recent tension between China and Taiwan.
Despite the resolution in the US Congress recognising Taiwan as the part of China, the American administration has been providing arms, ammunitions and logistic help to the Taipei administration.
Beijing says Taiwan is a Chinese province, a claim rejected by Taipei. Meanwhile the US does not take a position on the Taiwan’s sovereignty. On the other hand, the Taiwan Agreement has not yet been materialised and it seems that the US loves to use the Taiwan issue as the negotiating items with China.
The US-China Trade negotiation is a major issue and the US usually puts
on China an extra pressure over the South China Sea and Taiwan issues.
Empowered by US help, Taiwan continues to ignore the UN resolutions.
China wanted a peaceful unification of Taiwan,
but long 50 years have elapsed and it seems that China is losing patience
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It is noted that with a view to creating a potential block before the socialist upsurge in the sixties, the USA was trying to keep China far away from Russia. And accordingly, China was given the status of the most favoured nation and China became the member of the Security Council with a veto power. Now the world order has changed. After the breakaway of the USSR, the USA exercises unlimited power which helps the rest of the world get united against the USA.
The US-China Trade negotiation is a major issue and the US usually puts on China an extra pressure over the South China Sea and the Taiwan issues. Empowered by US help, Taiwan continues to ignore the UN resolutions. China wanted a peaceful unification of Taiwan but the long 50 years have elapsed and it seems that China is losing patience.
Biden is, unlike Trump, by nature a peace-loving person and as closest ally of former US president Obama and would not engage in another war just after returning from the two-decade-long Afghan war which cost the US trillions of dollars.
He will try to avoid war unless the US interest is concerned. But the Chinese authorities are visibly impatient over Taiwan. They may not continue the Taiwan issue further. They want an immediate settlement. If the hostility starts, Taiwan will not be able to exist even for a few minutes unless the US engages in the war against China. But the question is will America take that risk for Taiwan? The Biden’s announcement for abiding by the Taiwan Agreement has opened up an opportunity to reconcile the US and China whose relations suffered a significant damage during the Trump administration, especially on long-standing trade deficit with Beijing. China has enjoyed most favoured nation status with America. But with the emergence of Asia as the main centre of global economic activities, China’s dominations have increased in the international arena.
China’s trade, commerce and economic advancement throughout the world have become a serious headache for the US and its allies. With a view to limiting Chinese movement, a military bloc (QUAD) comprising US, Japan, Australia and India was formed and more recently the AUKUS, comprising Australia, the US and UK was also formed and these are the move to check China from military development. China’s increasing military might is being considered a potential threat to the superpowers of the world.
Meanwhile Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed for a peaceful reunification with Taiwan though the use of force was not mentioned while tension griped the island. In response to Xi’s speech, the Taiwan administration said that it is the people of Taiwan to decide their fate.
Realisation of national reunification by peaceful means would be the best way to serve the interest of the Chinese nation as a whole including our brethren in Taiwan, Xi said while addressing the event marking the 110th anniversary of a revolution that ended millennia of imperial rule which led to the founding of the Republic of China. It is significant that a large portrait of Sun Yat-sen was towered over the stage when Xi was addressing.
Xi also warned against foreign interference in Taiwan after a Pentagon official confirmed that US special operation forces have been quietly training Taiwanese troops for months. China always firm and believed that Taiwan issue is absolutely an internal affair of China. They would not allow any sort of intervention from outside. In his speech, Xi asserted that nobody should underestimate the Chinese people’s formidable capacity to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Sharif Shahab Uddin is Editor-in-Chief, Bangladesh Post.
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