在外媒直陈中国和平统一的诚意、反分裂的意志
The following article is from 底线思维 Author 王文
编者按
针对外媒误读台湾地区领导人选举,中国人民大学重阳金融研究院(人大重阳)执行院长、中美人文交流研究中心执行主任王文在选举结果出后第一时间接受英国广播电视公司(BBC)直播专访,三次强调这是“中国的地方选举”。1月16日,王文在《南华早报》刊发长文,阐述两岸统一的必然性,以及批驳所谓“中国军事威胁论”。1月18日观察者网发布长文中文版,目前阅读量已10万+。现将文章内容发布如下:
▲本文英、中版先后刊发于《南华早报》、《观察者网》。
两岸将会真正统一
揭露西方谎言
Beijing is already prepared for Taiwan reunification
“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.
Mainland China is already prepared for cross-strait reunification. Beijing has set 2035 for the completion of construction of a cross-strait bridge. Popular sentiment has been captured by a song by a mainland artist about his desire “to sit on a high-speed train to Taipei”.
The Chinese economy could surpass that of the US by around 2035 and become the world’s largest. In the future, the envy young people in Taiwan have for the mainland will only grow.
In the past, Taiwanese people had a sense of superiority rooted in their higher living standards, but today the gross domestic product of its west coast neighbour, Fujian province, exceeds Taiwan’s. Taiwan’s standard of living was much higher than Fujian’s 30 years ago, but now many Taiwanese are reflecting on why their island’s economy is slipping behind Fujian’s, although they share a regional culture.
Time is on mainland China’s side. The Democratic Progressive Party, currently in power on the island, will never change Beijing’s Taiwan policy. Beijing hopes for a peaceful reunification, but has never said that it will not use force.
Force will be used only to curb Taiwan independence, not against the people of Taiwan. Without Taiwan making a bid for independence, there will be no reunification through military conflict.
The more forcefully the DPP leads Taiwan independence activities, the quicker mainland China’s military forces will prepare for reunification. In the summer of 2022, Taiwan allowed Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the US House of Representatives, to visit the island. Mainland China conducted military drills around Taiwan, showing the People’s Liberation Army’s ability to blockade the island.
When Chinese President Xi Jinping met Joe Biden outside San Francisco in November, he urged the US president to support China’s peaceful reunification. The US has said it does “not support Taiwan independence”. This shows that US policy goals are designed not to allow Taiwan independence, but to use Taiwan as a tool to curb the development of mainland China.
The US continuing to sell weapons to Taiwan only benefits the military-industrial complex, and cannot change the trend towards reunification.
The so-called “invasion of Taiwan” being hyped by Western media is inaccurate. Taiwan has never been a sovereign country. The differences between the mainland and Taiwan are not conflicts between two countries – they are differences within a single China.
Western media, politicians, and think tanks are confusing right and wrong. They would not say that US president Abraham Lincoln launched a war by invading the southern states, nor would they say that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher invaded Argentina. So why do they talk of the possibility of “China’s invasion of Taiwan”?
Another lie is the “Chinese military threat”. Since 1979, China has never gone to war with any country. War is the only thing that is not “made in China”. Some American politicians often complain about China’s tough attitude, but this is because they only want China to follow their orders.
The Western media, especially the American media, should tell the story of US military conflicts around the world, including the destruction wrought in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya. US military expenses account for nearly 40 per cent of the world’s total, making the country a threat to the entire world, including China. Since 2018, the US has pursued a trade and tech war against China, which has only tried to preserve its sovereignty and security.
Fortunately, the trade and tech wars have not prevented China’s development. Trying to curb China by playing the Taiwanese card is destined for failure. The reunification process in China continues. The only uncertainty is when it will be achieved and what form it will take.
Mainland China has always respected Taiwan’s political and economic system. Mainland officials have indicated that the island’s political system, security, economy and culture will not be impacted by cross-strait reunification.
Life for the people of Taiwan will undoubtedly improve after reunification. That’s what my Taiwanese student realised after years of studying in Beijing. Taiwan would no longer have to pay the US a huge protection fee for expensive military weapons. Taiwan’s taxpayers would not have to pay to prop up its “central government”.
As citizens of China, Taiwanese residents will truly enjoy the benefits of helping move a great nation forward. They will be recognised and rewarded for their contribution to building a China free of the tempest that has long been a thorn in our nation’s side. I believe this will be realised soon.
Wang Wen is the executive dean and professor of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.
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// 人大重阳
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中国人民大学重阳金融研究院(人大重阳)成立于2013年1月19日,是重阳投资向中国人民大学捐赠并设立教育基金运营的主要资助项目。
作为中国特色新型智库,人大重阳聘请了全球数十位前政要、银行家、知名学者为高级研究员,旨在关注现实、建言国家、服务人民。目前,人大重阳下设7个部门、运营管理4个中心(生态金融研究中心、全球治理研究中心、中美人文交流研究中心、中俄人文交流研究中心)。近年来,人大重阳在金融发展、全球治理、大国关系、宏观政策等研究领域在国内外均具有较高认可度。
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