Wang Wen

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

Reading Time:4 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Wang Wen

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.

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.

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

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