A day after CPC congress, US says China moving 'much faster' to annex Taiwan
Antony Blinken
A day after Chinese President Xi Jinping headlined the opening of the 20th CPC congress and made rather aggressive remarks on Taiwan, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that China is on a “much faster timeline” in its plan to annex Taiwan.
“Instead of sticking with the status quo that was established in a positive way, [Beijing has made] a fundamental decision that the status quo is no longer acceptable, and Beijing is determined to pursue reunification on a much faster timeline,” said Blinken while in a conversation withCondoleezza Rice, former secretary of state at Stanford University.
“If peaceful means didn’t work then would employ coercive means, and possibly if coercive means don’t work then maybe forceful means to achieve its objective. That is what is profoundly disrupting the status quo and creating tremendous tensions.”
As reported by WION, Xi Jinping on Sunday, in hisonce-in-a-five-year addresses at the congress said the Taiwan matter was for the Chinese people only to decide.
“The resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people themselves, to be decided by the Chinese people," said Xi.
The CCP leader added that China reserves the option of “taking all measures necessary” against separatist forces.
“We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort. But, we will never promise to renounce the use of force. And we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary.”
Xi also lauded his government's approach despite Taiwan's secessionist forces attempting to break away from China.
"In the face of serious provocations by the Taiwan independence separatists and the interference of external force, we resolutely carried out major struggles against separatism and interference, demonstrating our firm determination and strong ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and oppose Taiwan independence force."
(With inputs from agencies)
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