A war over Taiwan can be avoided

zeit online Taiwan: A war over Taiwan can be avoided Even if tensions around the island state are growing: China and the USA do not want a military confrontation. This is another reason why they are talking to each other again. By Matthias Naß October 17, 2024, 4:22 p.m. Taiwan: On Taiwan's national holiday, President Lai Ching-te preferred to speak of "peace and prosperity" rather than formal independence. On Taiwan's national holiday, President Lai Ching-te preferred to speak of "peace and prosperity" rather than formal independence. © Annabelle Chih/​Getty Images Actually, Lai Ching-te did not say a single wrong word. On the contrary, Taiwan's president demonstrated goodwill in his speech on the island state's national holiday last week. He expressly offered to cooperate with the regime in Beijing, for which Lai is not head of state but the head of an illegitimate regional authority, in order to preserve "peace and prosperity" for the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. But Lai also said that the People's Republic of China has "no right to represent Taiwan". The president does not want to leave any doubt about the political independence of his democratically governed republic. Nevertheless, he is careful not to openly advocate for formal independence for Taiwan. That would be - and no one knows this better than himself - the casus belli for China. But no matter what Lai Ching-te says or does not say: from Beijing's point of view, he remains a "separatist" with whom there can be no talks. As was the case during the time of his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, there is radio silence between Beijing and Taipei. The DPP insists on Taiwanese autonomy The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which currently governs Taiwan, is resolutely defending the island state's autonomy - less willing to compromise than the long-ruling nationalist Chinese Kuomintang, which is now in the opposition. The Kuomintang on Taiwan and the Communist Party (CP) on the mainland have always agreed that there is only one China, even after previously fighting for power in this China in a murderous civil war. For the DPP, however, the following applies: China is China, and Taiwan is Taiwan. Leave us alone, they say to the CP, then we can live together in peace. Register This is unacceptable for the leadership in Beijing. For them, reunification with Taiwan is one of the country's "core interests". It is about national sovereignty, military security, territorial integrity and state unity - the Communist Party can make no concessions on any of these. If Taiwan comes to its senses and returns peacefully to the bosom of the fatherland, all the better; if not, unfortunately, military means will have to be used: that is what Beijing has been saying for decades. Party and head of state Xi Jinping said it again explicitly at the last party congress in October 2022: "We will never promise to renounce the use of armed force." In fact, the threats have recently become more and more massive. Even after Lai Ching-te's speech on the national holiday, China again sent an entire armada to sea and circle Taiwan; this time there was even an aircraft carrier.