China should forget Taiwan and sort out its ‘economy’
Taiwanese National Security Council chief Wu warns that Beijing is seeking ‘global’ supremacy
President Xi Jinping has been accused of ignoring China’s crippled economy to pursue a power grab for Taiwan. Speaking in Taipei today, Taiwanese National Security Council chief Joseph Wu also warned that Beijing was seeking “global dominance” by creating flashpoints.
His speech came amid heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the broader South and East China Seas. The People’s Liberation Navy has flexed its maritime muscles around the democratically governed island, which Xi has vowed to unify by force if necessary.
“The footage of the September military parade gave the impression of China still seeking global dominance, not solving domestic economic and social problems. This doesn’t make too much sense to me,” Wu pointed out.
“Even though we see worrisome trends in the Chinese economy, the news these days is not about how [the] leadership [will tackle] the slump, it’s about the purge of generals,” he said, referring to Xi’s never-ending “corruption campaign” against the People’s Liberation Army.
Cruel sea:
- At least US$3 trillion of trade traverses the South China Sea.
- Beijing claims 90% of the critical waterway as part of a nine-dash line of influence.
- That assertion was rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016.
We have the best of everything … nobody’s going to mess with that.
US President Donald Trump
Delve deeper: Hours before Wu’s speech, US President Donald Trump dismissed fears that China would invade Taiwan because of the United States’ superior military power.
Between the lines: His comments in Washington came ahead of planned face-to-face trade talks with Xi at the Asia-Pacific leaders’ summit in South Korea later this month.
What was said: “It’s not even close. We have the best of everything, and nobody’s going to mess with that,” Trump told a White House media briefing.
Big picture: The US is obligated by the “One China” policy to support Taiwan militarily. The island split from the mainland in 1949 during the civil war with Mao’s Communist forces.
Bottom line: “I don’t see anything happening. We have a very good trade relationship,” Trump said, adding that Taiwan is “the apple” of Xi’s “eye.”
China Factor comment: When they finally meet for geopolitical discussions, Trump needs to make it clear to Xi about the dangers of overreach in the South and East China Seas. Hopefully, Wu’s warning will be ringing in his ears.