Page 18 - LatAmOil Week 49

LatAmOil GUEST COMMENT LatAmOil

Persuade, invade, blockade:

What is Beijing’s best strategy

to reunify Taiwan?

GUEST COMMENT A few months ago, a poll of Taiwanese voters unstoppable force towards an immovable
revealed that popular desire for independence object has turned the spotlight onto the military
from China is hardening: Some 54% of respond- options open to Beijing.
ents wanted early independence, while only These are options anticipated and authorised
12.5% wanted unification with Beijing. by Article 8 of China’s 2005 Anti-Secession Law,
Hardening attitudes in Taiwan reflect hard- which states that if Taiwan will not unify peace-
ening attitudes in Beijing, where President Xi fully it must (the Law says “shall,” not “may”) be
(actually Chairman Xi, but let’s skip that detail) unified by force of arms.
has unequivocally and repeatedly declared his Taiwan lives entirely on imported energy,
intention to achieve unification, probably before importing 1mn barrels per day of oil and 2bn
he retires, whenever that might be. cubic metres of gas per month. War with China
The approach of what looks like an would be a disaster.™

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P18 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 49 10•December•2020