00:00A vow to strike separatists and support patriotic pro-unification forces in Taiwan.
00:05That's the message from China's top official in charge of Taiwan policy.
00:08At the Taiwan Work Conference in Beijing this week, Wang Huning sent a clear signal that
00:13he wants to see progress in the so-called great cause of national reunification.
00:16But Taiwan says unification is not what Beijing is really after.
00:20In a statement, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees relations with China,
00:25said Beijing's ultimate goal is eliminating the country.
00:27It said this rhetoric was nothing new and that the government would continue to monitor
00:31China's actions and defend the country's sovereignty.
00:33But China watchers say the latest conference shows Beijing is ramping up its threats to take Taiwan.
00:39This is, again, a very clear signal to Taipei that nothing is going to stop Beijing from pursuing this mission.
00:48They no longer emphasize the need to, you know, prioritize peaceful reunification.
00:53I think that's a very noteworthy departure from the past.
00:58China's conference comes ahead of Taiwan's local elections in November.
01:02With the legislature deadlocked over issues like defense spending,
01:05it could be a pivotal race for cross-strait ties.
01:07The main opposition, Kuomintang, has sought to engage with the Chinese authorities,
01:11having just sent a high-level delegation to Beijing last week.
01:14Party leader Zheng Li-wen is also reportedly seeking a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
01:19Offering support and working with patriotic forces inside Taiwan
01:26suggests that they are hoping to lend a hand to the KMT.
01:33This remains to be seen whether it actually will help because cross-strait relations is not
01:39at the forefront of most Taiwanese voters' minds when it comes to local elections.
01:44Although the conference did not mention the possibility of war,
01:47Beijing has never ruled out the use of force to take Taiwan.
01:50Although the government here says Beijing's rhetoric is nothing new,
01:53observers will closely watch to see whether words turn to action.
01:57John Tsu and Larry Siano for Taiwan Plus.
Comments