Canada is pushing back on Chinese influence in the Taiwan Strait after Beijing ratcheted up tensions in East Asia by conducting military drills off Taiwan this week.
China’s People’s Liberation Army said Wednesday that it had “successfully completed” two days of military exercises in the waters off Taiwan, concluding a set of high-powered manoeuvres aimed at asserting its sovereignty over the island.
Global Affairs Canada says in a media statement that Canada “opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.”
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The agency says the strait connecting the east and south China seas is “indispensable to the security and prosperity of the international community” and it’s “in the interest of all parties to maintain the peaceful and accessible nature of this waterway.”
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Not to disagree with your sentiment but this misses the core reason for China’s attitude towards Taiwan.
Earlier in Chinese history, the government fled to Taiwan. They still claim to be the real China. Taiwanese passports say Republic of China on them. China does not want two countries claiming to be “China”. They want one China; they want it to be them.
The tech capability of Taiwan is just a bonus.
This is actually correct. But it is important to note that both Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China both agree that Taiwan belongs to China, there is no separate Taiwan but two Chinas. There is no formal declaration nor referendum stating Taiwan as independent. As you say the passports say “Republic of China” not “Taiwan”, it’s not me saying it it’s them. It is a civil war we should not involve ourselves in.
They disagree about which government should be in charge of the “one” China.
Of course you do not want independence if you think you are the rightful owner.
Most governments go along with the idea their should be “one China” without formally recognizing which of the two it should be.
I agree with saying “one China” but disagreeing which one is the rightful China. The problem is there are many people who think “Taiwan” is a country and try to impact foreign policy to reflect that belief instead of the facts.
The two-China issue has been out of sight. It has been replaced by One Country on Each Side or independence. In other words, Taiwan is not claiming to be China in place of the People’s Republic of China. Given the absence of that issue which could be politically rather than militarily resolved anyway, the reason for China can only be occupation or colonization, as seen in Hong Kong.