During their recent summit in San Francisco, Chinese President Xi Jinping informed President Joe Biden that Beijing aims to reunify Taiwan with mainland China, but has not yet decided on a timing, NBC News reported.
According to three current and former US officials, Xi told Biden in a meeting attended by a dozen American and Chinese officials that China’s preference is to take Taiwan peacefully, not by force. While the Chinese leader did not deviate much from his previous public statements, the meeting was significant because China’s behavior toward Taiwan has become increasingly aggressive ahead of the island’s presidential election next month.
Reports suggest that Xi also referenced public predictions by US military leaders who believe that Xi plans to take Taiwan in 2025 or 2027. He reportedly told Biden that the predictions were wrong because he has not yet set a timeframe. Ahead of the meeting, Chinese officials had also reportedly requested that Biden make a public statement supporting China’s goal of a peaceful unification with Taiwan and indicating that the US did not support Taiwanese independence. The White House rejected the request.
The revelations provide new details and insights into a meeting that was primarily intended to ease tensions between the US and China; tensions that have escalated due to ongoing trade disputes, military actions in and around the South China Sea, as well as espionage and allegations of intellectual property theft. The meeting took place amidst a major trade deal between the two superpowers, with both sides hoping to chip away at the tension that has built up between the US and China over recent years.
Observers note that while China’s increasing aggression towards Taiwan is of concern to the US, Japan, and other allies in the region, the country remains set on its course. Taiwanese independence is seen as a red line for China, with Beijing stating its intention to reunify what it sees as a breakaway province, by force if necessary. It is clear that the US will need to tread carefully to ensure that any escalation of hostilities between Beijing and Taipei does not spill over into the wider region.
The current situation is a looming concern because China has already established a military presence near Taiwan and has been carrying out military drills in the region for several years. There also remains the possibility that China could employ other means such as pressuring Taiwan’s allies to stop their diplomatic relations.