Opinion

Beijing is already prepared for Taiwan reunification

Despite the results of Saturday’s election, many young Taiwanese have come to recognise the economic, security and cultural benefits of reunification

Both sides could sit down and talk soon, but if the DPP continues to push for independence, a military resolution would be on the cards

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Wang Wen is a professor and executive dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.

Published: 9:30am, 16 Jan 2024

“I hope to get a Chinese passport and become a Chinese citizen,” a Taiwanese student once told me. “Only by being Chinese can we have confidence and become the most powerful country in the world. If we remain only Taiwanese, we are but a mere vassal of the United States.”

This student, who studied with me for five years, knows full well that mainland China can resist US suppression of its trade and technology and the politicising of human rights. His reflections are shared by many young Taiwanese when it comes to wanting pragmatic solutions to national reunification.

Many young people in Taiwan like to use mainland apps, such as TikTok and Little Red Book. They see new breathing space in the rapid rise in standards of living on the mainland and the great potential for continued economic progress.

That’s why one of the three candidates in Saturday’s election said he does not support independence while another said there is no point talking about it. I am optimistic that mainland China and Taiwan will sit down and talk soon, and the two sides will find a path forward to a truly reunified China.