Ithought Penny had fixed this.!
We’ll takeTaiwan: Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian pledges no retreat
China’s ambassadorto Australia Xiao Qian speaks at the National Press Club in Canberra yesterday.Picture: AAP
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE CORRESPONDENT
@bennpackham
NORTH ASIA CORRESPONDENT
@wmdglasgow
·6:31AMAUGUST 11, 2022
Chinese ambassadorXiao Qian has threatened a re-education process for Taiwan’s 23 million peopleto give them “a correct understanding” of China, as he declared Beijing was“ready to use all necessary measures” to restore the liberal democracy “to themotherland”.
After a week of Chinese military drills around the self-governedisland, Mr Xiao warned Australia to handle the question of Taiwan’s future“with caution”, declaring there was “no room for compromise” on the issue.
His comments to the National Press Club in Canberra came asBeijing released a new white paper claiming ownership of the island and itspeople was “an indisputable fact” and reserving the right to use force to takeit back.
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Hours later, China’s People’s Liberation Army said it had “successfullycompleted” its exercises around Taiwan, but warned that its Eastern TheatreCommand would continue to carry out “training and war preparation”.
Amid fears the crisis could spark a major regional conflict, MrXiao said Taiwan was as much a part of China as Tasmania was of Australia, soany move to seize it would not amount to an “invasion”.
He said when Taiwan was restored to China, its people would have“somewhat different views” about their country, which would need to berectified.
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“Once Taiwan is reunited, coming back to the motherland, theremight be a process for the people in Taiwan to have a correct understanding ofChina,” he said.
The envoy’s chilling warning, raising the prospect ofXinjiang-style camps in one of Asia’s most vibrant societies, followed that ofChina’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, who last week said “after thereunification, we will do re-education”.
Mr Xiao rejected opinion polls in Taiwan, that show overwhelmingopposition to Communist Party-rule, claiming that “the majority” of Taiwan’speople supported being absorbed into China, with just “a handful” supportingTaiwan’s independence.
He said China’s explosive reaction to US House of RepresentativesSpeaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which included firing 11 ballisticmissiles over and around Taiwan, was “legitimate and justified” to safeguardits sovereign territory.
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| THEAUSTRALIAN.COM.AU02:46 People in Taiwan may go through ‘process’ of ‘correctly understanding’ China |
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Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian says once Taiwan comes“back to the motherland,” there may be a… process for the people in Taiwan tohave a “correct understanding” of China. He said there is no “official policy”of re-education in China, but people in Taiwan might have More
“It is the US side that should and must take full responsibilityfor the escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
“It’s a determination to show that on the question of Taiwan,there’s no room for compromise.”
Just days after Beijing blasted Foreign Minister Penny Wong forher condemnation of its missile launches, Mr Xiao said China wanted “a soundstable, friendly and co-operative relationship” with Australia.
He said the election of the Albanese government had opened upthe possibility of a “reset” between Beijing and Canberra but “concreteactions” were needed on both sides. Mr Xiao held out the prospect of a meetingbetween Chinese President Xi Jinping and Anthony Albanese at the November G20leaders’ meeting in Bali, but warned after years of difficult relations, Mr Xiwould be wary of being “humiliated”.
“If you are, you know, talking bad about me, why should I meetyou?” he said.
In his first major appearance before the Australian media, MrXiao blamed “negative” news coverage of his country for “harming the friendshipbetween our two peoples”.
He said detained Australian citizen Cheng Lei’s rights werebeing protected under Chinese law – “Don’t worry about that” – blaming Covidfor long periods of isolation from relatives, legal advice and consularsupport.
After more than two years of trade tensions between thecountries, Mr Xiao argued that Chinese bans on $20bn worth of Australianexports should not be described as “sanctions”, but were instead the result oftrade disputes, unhappy consumers and fears by Chinese companies of beingblacklisted by Australia, as with Huawei and ZTE. He also sought to dismiss a dangerousmid-air incident in which an Australian P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft wasaggressively challenged by a Chinese fighter jet in the South China Sea.
The Chinese plane set off flares and “chaff” countermeasuresahead of the Australian jet near the disputed Paracel Islands, which Chinaclaims as its own.
Mr Xiao said the close call was “very unfortunate”, but likenedit to someone “driving around, carrying a gun and trying to peep into yourwindows”.
The ambassador used his first National Press Club address tocontinue Beijing’s decades-long attempt to rewrite Australia’s One-Chinapolicy. He said the “One-China principle is a solemn commitment by successiveAustralian governments”, conflating Beijing’s hardline position with Canberra’sambiguous one that allows substantial unofficial relations with Taipei.
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| THEAUSTRALIAN.COM.AU14:12 China 'compelled' to take 'justified' countermeasures to safeguard its sovereignty |
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ChineseAmbassador to Australia Xiao Qian says China is “compelled” to take countermeasuresto safeguard its…
Australia has always insisted that any change to the status quomust be peaceful and would require the consent of both sides. That policy –shared by Japan, the US and most wealthy countries – has allowed the Taiwanesespace to create their vibrant democracy and dynamic economy.
In a major concession to Beijing, Australia’s policy also saysTaiwan is not allowed to formally declare its independence.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed there hadbeen no change to Australia’s policy on handling Taiwan. “Australia has alongstanding bipartisan One-China policy. There has been no change to thispolicy,” it told The Australian in a statement.
Senator Wong declined to comment on the Chinese envoy’smischaracterisation of Australia’s policy. ANU National Security College headRory Medcalf said the ambassador’s performance was “a bracing eye-opener for …anyone who still imagined a reset was possible or desirable”.
“A reset is a fantasy, thanks to all the issues he wasimplacable on,” Professor Medcalf said.
“The (Albanese) government’s agenda is sensibly more aboutstabilisation than reset, but even that will be permanently fragile.”
Japan’s ambassador to Australia, Shingo Yamagami, said hisChinese counterpart’s comments were alarming. “Bluntly speaking, I was verysurprised and not a little concerned by the speech made today, because Ithought this was a good opportunity to reset their relationship withAustralia,” he told Sky News. “This is a time to de-escalate tensions. How comewe have to see military exercises around Taiwan?
“How come missiles have to be shot over Taiwan into Japanesewaters in response to the US Speaker of the house’s visit to Taipei? This isbeyond our comprehension.”
In a crisis address delivered on Tuesday, Taiwan’s ForeignMinister, Joseph Wu, thanked Australia for its support in the face of China’sattempt to use military might to “ alter the status quo” in the Taiwan Straitand across the Indo-Pacific.
“The people of Taiwan also have the right to express theircollective will through a democratic system. China has no right to interfere inor alter this,” Mr Wu said in Taipei.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence said 45 Chinese warplanes and 10gunboats had been operating close to the island on Tuesday.
Beijing had made similar deployments every day since August 4,when it launched live-fire military drills in six zones close to Taiwan in whatthe PLA described as “blockade” rehearsals.
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| THEAUSTRALIAN.COM.AU03:24 China will ‘never allow’ separation from Taiwan |
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ChineseAmbassador to Australia Xiao Qian says they will “never allow” Taiwan to beseparated from China. He…
FOREIGN AFFAIRSAND DEFENCE CORRESPONDENT
Ben Packham has spent twodecades in journalism, joining The Australian as a political reporter in 2011after working at the Herald Sun and AAP. He rejoined the Canberra bureau in2018 after four years in Papua... Read more
