China unleashes media blitz amplifying claims over Taiwan before Xi-Trump meeting

BEIJING – China is using state media outlets to amplify its claims over Taiwan, a move likely intended to reinforce its position on a sensitive issue before a key meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.

In recent days, the official Xinhua News Agency has published three commentaries written by Zhong Taiwen, a homonym for the government department in Beijing that handles Taiwan affairs.

While the articles did not break new ground, they reiterated Beijing’s view that “reunification” would be good for Taiwan and historically inevitable.

“The complete reunification of the motherland must and will be achieved,” one said.

The articles came after a key Chinese legislative body made Oct 25 “Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration” – something Beijing has said Mr Xi himself wanted.

The day is intended to mark the end of Japanese colonial rule of Taiwan in 1945, though the current government in Beijing never governed the archipelago after the Japanese left.

The media push comes before Mr Trump and Mr Xi are scheduled to meet on Oct 30 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in South Korea – their first in-person sit down since Mr Trump returned to office. 

The Taiwan issue is one of the thorniest of the relationship between the world’s two biggest economies given the US backs the democracy militarily and China sees it as lost territory that must be brought under its control, by force if necessary.

The government in Taipei disputes Beijing’s claims, saying the archipelago is de facto independent and not a part of China. 

Professor Wu Xinbo, director at Fudan University’s Centre for American Studies in Shanghai, said that because the Taiwan question was very important to China, it would “certainly come up” in the Xi-Trump talks.

He said the stepped up media attention “is intended to send a signal not only to Taiwan, but also to the US side” that Beijing would never allow Taipei to declare independence.

China also wanted to show it was very adamant about bringing the archipelago under its control, Prof Wu added.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Oct 29, Mr Trump said he did not know if he would speak to Mr Xi about Taiwan.

“I’m not sure – he may want to ask about it,” Mr Trump said. “There’s not that much to ask about Taiwan.”

There has been speculation that Mr Trump could use Taiwan as a chip when bargaining with Mr Xi over issues like trade and tech curbs, though US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US will not abandon its longstanding support for Taiwan to reach a trade agreement.

Mr Xi has renewed a push for the US to change its longstanding policy that it does not support Taiwan’s independence.

China has asked the Trump administration to officially declare that it “opposes” independence, a concession that would be a major diplomatic win for Beijing.

Adding to the recent Chinese media barrage, a Xinhua publication also posted an article on social media showing how the nation’s satellites can see every street in Taiwan.

While that technology is nothing new, the post seemed like an attempt to intimidate the people of Taiwan, considering the People’s Liberation Army has stepped up drills in the area in recent years. 

When asked about the satellite issue at a briefing in Taipei with lawmakers, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau head Tsai Ming-yen said Taiwan’s own images give it “a good grasp” of China’s military movements.

Underscoring its dislike of Taiwan’s ruling party, this week China also launched a criminal investigation of lawmaker Puma Shen.

It was the first time police in the country kicked off such an inquiry into a member of a group it has labelled “die-hard Taiwan separatists”.

Many of the individuals are members of the Democratic Progressive Party, including Taiwan’s Vice-President Hsiao Bi-khim, and rarely if ever cross the strait separating the two sides, making China’s moves mostly symbolic. BLOOMBERG