Washington: Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed Taiwan during their summit this week.
Putin reiterated Russia’s longstanding support for China’s claim over Taiwan, as stated in their joint statement, but did Xi feel reassured that he will fare better if he invaded Taiwan, to finally bring back into the mainland as Chinese leaders have long cherished, than Putin has done in Ukraine? Unlikely.
Backed and equipped by the US-led Western alliance, Ukrainians have not only foiled Putin’s aim to take over their country but have also rolled back his forces from areas taken earlier, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment.
Worse, Russia, a one-time superpower, has been reduced to scrounging around for material from Iran and North Korea, because of crippling sanctions imposed by the US and Europe.
Xi might face a similar pushback if he tried the same in Taiwan.
But the summit earned him a reaffirmation of Russian support for anything he is planning to do about Taiwan.
“The Russian side reaffirms its adherence to the one-China principle, recognises Taiwan as an inalienable part of China’s territory, opposes any form of ‘Taiwan independence’, and firmly supports China’s measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the joint statement issued by the two sides after the meeting of their leaders.
Taiwan responded by slamming an “authoritarian, expansionist” China for “continuously disseminating in the international arena false narratives that undermine Taiwan’s national sovereignty” and Russia for “for falling in line behind China and acting in concert with China’s schemes for aggression and expansionism”.
The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry also reminded Xi that it will not be alone when it stands up against any Chinese aggression.
“Taiwan stands on the frontline of defence for the democratic community. The Taiwanese people and government will unite as one to collectively counter the rhetorical assault and military intimidation from Communist China,” it said.
“Taiwan will strengthen cooperation with fellow democratic nations to deter authoritarian expansionism, preserve peace and security across the Taiwan Strait with an aim to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, and ensure a stable and prosperous world.”
No countries were named, but the US is likely to be among the “fellow democratic nations” that will stand alongside Taiwan.
Though the US has a one-China policy and it does not support Taiwanese independence, it remains committed, per the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, to provide Taiwan arms and equipment necessary to enable it to maintain a sufficient self-defence capability.
Something like what it has been doing in Ukraine.
–IANS
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