Disappearance of "Peace" from China's Taiwan-Related Work Conference A Warning Sign

United Daily News Commentary, February 27, 2025

On February 26, two major developments in cross-strait relations took place: mainland China convened its annual Taiwan-related work conference and announced a live-fire drill in waters approximately 40 nautical miles off Taiwan's southern coast. The former made no mention of the word "peace" throughout the proceedings, while the latter was an unannounced military exercise near Taiwan’s territorial boundaries. These two events reflect the ongoing deterioration of cross-strait relations, with no signs of improvement.

Beijing authorities reported on the two-day Taiwan-related work conference, which is regarded as the most important annual event outlining mainland China’s policies on Taiwan. The conference, held by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, set the latest strategic objectives and directives for Taiwan-related affairs.

According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, Chairman Wang Huning of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stated in his speech that Beijing must "resolutely crack down on Taiwan independence provocations and shape the inevitable trend of national reunification." Compared to previous years, this rhetoric is more targeted and coercive, which can be analyzed in two key aspects.

First, regarding Taiwan independence, last year’s language referred to "cracking down on Taiwan independence separatism," whereas this year, it has been expanded to "cracking down on Taiwan independence provocations." Previously, Beijing mainly targeted those actively engaged in separatist activities. Now, the scope has widened to include any perceived provocative acts related to Taiwan independence. However, the definition of what constitutes a "provocation" remains ambiguous.

Second, the term "peace" is absent from the Xinhua News Agency’s report. In past years, the annual work conference emphasized "promoting peaceful development of cross-strait relations." This year, however, Wang Huning stated that Beijing aims to "shape the inevitable trend of national reunification." While reunification remains the ultimate goal, how Beijing intends to achieve it remains open to interpretation.

On the same day, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), without prior warning, designated an exercise zone about 40 nautical miles off the coasts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung for "live-fire drills." Later that afternoon, the MND reported that 32 Chinese military aircraft had been detected in Taiwan's vicinity, with 22 crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern airspace. These aircraft coordinated with PLA naval vessels in conducting "joint combat readiness patrols."

Some analysts suggest that the PLA maneuvers were in response to recent military interactions between the United States and Taiwan. Notably, the U.S. military initially revealed on its official Facebook page that Taiwan had participated in the multinational "Cobra Gold" military exercise. However, upon realizing the sensitivity of the disclosure, the post was quickly edited to remove Taiwan's name. The MND declined to confirm or comment on the matter, citing respect for the event’s organizers and a desire to maintain future participation opportunities.

Additionally, on February 21, Minister of National Defense Koo Li-hsiung presided over the strategic tabletop military exercise Han Kuang No. 41. The media noticed that an official photo released by the Military News Agency (MNA) featured an American major general from the Indo-Pacific Command. After revealing the presence of the U.S. officer, the MNA urgently cropped the original image and re-uploaded it. Taiwan’s military spokesperson later stated that Taiwan maintains routine training exchanges with allied nations to gain combat experience and enhance its overall military capability.

U.S.-Taiwan military exchanges have been ongoing for years, including during the Ma Ying-jeou administration, which had relatively stable cross-strait relations. Even during the tenure of President Ma Ying-jeou from 2008 to 2016, Taiwan purchased American arms, but there were no large-scale PLA military exercises encircling Taiwan or provocative drills near its borders. The tacit agreement regarding the Taiwan Strait median line also remained intact.

Cross-strait relations have deteriorated since 2016. Resumption of cross-strait tourism remains out of reach, and the return of mainland Chinese degree-seeking students to Taiwan is unlikely in the near future. Meanwhile, Taiwan has recently banned the recognition of degrees from major mainland universities and plans to regulate Taiwanese businesspeople who have obtained mainland residence permits. These developments indicate that the worsening cross-strait relationship shows no signs of stabilizing.

From: https://vip.udn.com/vip/story/122366/8575342
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