The gunpowder is there, unless someone sets fire to it. For the second consecutive day, three Chinese warships sailed the waters around Taiwan. A reaction from Beijing to the meeting Wednesday in California between Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan, and Kevin McCarthy, the president of the American House of Representatives, in the name of the policy “of one China”.
What does this doctrine say? Can Chinese military activity raise fears of war? What are Beijing, Taipei and Washington saying in the midst of this crisis? 20 Minutes takes stock for you.
What is the “one China” policy?
Separated since 1949 and the Communist victory over the Nationalist government, Taiwan and mainland China each claim sovereignty over the other’s territory. The majority of Western countries initially only recognized Taiwan, until Beijing took over the Chinese seat at the UN on October 25, 1971. Today, only 13 countries maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. , even if the country actually has many allies… provided you don’t upset China too much.
Because for Beijing, it is out of the question that a country can recognize the two governments. We have to choose between dealing with Taipei and trading with Beijing: this is the “one China” principle. “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” the communist government repeated on Friday. “Taiwan’s future lies in reunification with the motherland,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing.
Is the Chinese military threat credible?
The area is closely watched from both sides, as the island still fears a Chinese invasion. On Wednesday, shortly before the meeting between the Taiwanese president and the American representative, the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong had passed through waters southeast of Taiwan en route to the Western Pacific. On Thursday, three warships and a Chinese anti-submarine helicopter were detected by Taiwan in its air defense identification zone off territorial waters. The results are the same this Friday, one more combat aircraft.
The scenario of an invasion has been raised several times since the start of the war in Ukraine, the height of tensions culminating in August 2022, when Nancy Pelosi visited the island. In men and equipment, China is far superior to Taiwan. But the latter has strong allies in the region, and American soldiers are on the island to train the Taiwanese army. Kevin McCarthy also called, during his meeting with Tsai Ing-wen, to “continue arms sales to Taiwan”, “the best way” to prevent a Chinese invasion.
What are the statements on each side?
“China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will never be divided,” Mao Ning said of Taiwan’s place in China. China on Friday imposed sanctions on Taipei’s envoy to the United States, Hsiao Bi-khim, barring him from entering China and accusing him of “deliberately inciting cross-Strait confrontation.” “. China’s Foreign Ministry also announced sanctions against the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based conservative think tank, as well as the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where the Tsai-McCarthy interview was held. , for “providing a platform and facilitating Tsai Ing-wen’s engagement in ‘Taiwanese separatism’ activities in the United States”.
Taiwan condemned these sanctions, saying that Beijing was trying to “further restrict the international position of our country”. “Coercion and repression will not change objective facts, but will only strengthen our government’s belief in upholding freedom and democracy,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Before leaving Los Angeles on Thursday, Tsai Ing-wen said she “hoped” that China would “show restraint and not overreact.” Beijing must choose the path of “diplomacy” and not that of “pressure” on Taiwan, for its part urged Thursday Vedant Patel, spokesperson for the American State Department.