Chinese President Xi Jinping has
redoubled efforts to build pressure to force Taiwan’s inclusion into mainland
China, CNN reported, adding that the Asian giant is sending warships and
warplanes closer to Taiwan, even into and through its airspace.
The Taipei Government, however, is preparing
a democratic presidential election on January 13, a three-way race in which
voters consider an outcome that could well define the island’s future.
Further, according to CNN, this is
happening with determined American political, diplomatic and military support,
including Biden being clearer than previous presidents that the US will defend
Taiwan.
Despite GOP foot-dragging in Congress,
Biden has included funding for Taiwan as well as Ukraine and Israel in a new
aid package – an all-but-unprecedented effort at American assistance for
democracies under threat.
The US President has managed the
relationship with Beijing rather than rupturing it in ways that could be
dangerous.
He recently succeeded in reopening
military-to-military channels of communication with China for the first time
since Beijing severed them after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to
Taiwan in August 2022.
China’s military recently released an
animation depicting the journey to reunite two halves of a torn scroll across
the Taiwan Strait, according to CNN.
This comes as a reference to the country’s
longstanding goal of “reunification” with the democratic, self-ruled island.
The Eastern Theater Command of the
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) released the animation to mark National Day, the
anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and is the
latest short film to capitalize on nationalist sentiment over historic Chinese
treasures held overseas.
China’s ruling Communist Party claims
Taiwan, home to 24 million residents, as its territory – despite never having
controlled it. It has long vowed to “reunify” Taiwan with the Chinese mainland,
by force if necessary.
ANI
