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WORLD NEWS Friday 1 February 2019

Xi's tough talk on Taiwan backfires, as Tsai support surges

By RALPH JENNINGS concerned."
JOHNSON LAI "I feel that the China gov-
Associated Press ernment is unpredictable
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chi- especially after Lee Ming-
nese President Xi Jinping che was taken away by
sought to push Taiwanese them," said Catta Chou, 30,
closer to unification with a a worker in a non-govern-
new year speech mixing mental organization, refer-
carrots and sticks. ring to a Taiwanese citizen
That hasn't panned out. In- sentenced in China in 2017
stead, his independence- to five years in prison for
leaning Taiwanese coun- spreading pro-democracy
terpart, Tsai Ing-wen, has information.
enjoyed a surge in support "China is definitely crazy,"
following a brutal drubbing Chou said.
of her political party in lo- Despite such sentiments,
cal elections last year, ac- China is unlikely to come
cording to public opinion up with a new proposal in
surveys and interviews. the immediate future, said
The residents of this self- Yun Sun, East Asia Program
governing island, with its vi- senior associate with the
brant and well-established In this Nov. 6, 2008, file photo, pro-Taiwan supporters stand on top of police barricades and shout Stimson Center think tank in
democracy, are as much slogans in protest against the visit of China's top negotiator in Taipei, Taiwan. Washington, D.C.
inclined as ever to resist Associated Press Beijing's leaders "know how
China's demands despite unpopular the proposal has
rising political, economic pei that appears to have sponse, which received a in 1949 during the civil war been and will be," Sun said.
and military threats from significantly bolstered her high level of support," foun- with the Communist Party "But before they have a
Beijing. support among voters. dation chairman You Ying- under Mao Zedong. good alternative, this is and
Xi's offer to Taiwan "is a total In a telephone survey lung said. "The China factor The Communists have re- will be the biggest deal for
scam," said Kuo Lin-han, 26, published Jan. 21 by the helps her come out of a garded Taiwan since then them."
a Chinese Culture University Taiwan Public Opinion trough." as a breakaway territory Voters had complained
student in Taipei. Foundation, 34.5 percent Younger Taiwanese have that must eventually be before the Nov. 24 midterm
Kuo was referring to China's of the 1,074 respondents a firm sense of local iden- brought into the fold. Many elections that Tsai had ei-
proposal of a "one coun- gave her a thumbs-up, an tity that stands in the way commentators say they ther grown too distant from
try, two systems" arrange- increase of about 10 per- of China's idea for unifica- believe Xi sees that as his China to build economic
ment that Xi renewed in his centage points from after tion, said Wu Yi-hsuan, 27, historical mission, prompt- ties or hadn't stood up
Jan. 2 speech, under which the November elections. an energy science and en- ing major increases in Chi- enough to Beijing's military
Taiwan would accept Chi- Two-thirds said they want gineering doctoral student. na's military budget and and diplomatic pressure.
nese sovereignty while be- Taiwan to continue its self- "We want to be Taiwanese renewed pressure on the Though she won the presi-
ing allowed to retain its rule or declare formal inde- Taiwan rather than Chinese island, including cutting off dency by a landslide in
own economic and legal pendence. Taiwan," Wu said, referring contacts with Tsai's govern- 2016 — largely due to con-
systems. Separately, the Taiwan to the terminology Beijing ment. cerns about China's influ-
That's based on the frame- government's Mainland Af- often uses for the island China's huge economy ence — and her Demo-
work Hong Kong was fairs Council found in a Jan. that many consider conde- and global clout may have cratic Progressive Party
granted when it reverted 17 survey of 1,078 people scending. "Regarding the some effect, but most Tai- received its first-ever legis-
to Chinese rule in 1997, an that 75.4 percent oppose fact that the People's Re- wanese are unimpressed lative majority, Taiwanese
arrangement that has be- "one country, two systems," public of China has never with how Beijing has fol- voters have in the past
come increasingly frayed 74.3 percent dispute the ruled Taiwan for a second, lowed through on its ear- shown a willingness to try
as Beijing expands its politi- "one China" condition for this (two systems) policy of lier pledges, said Andrew new approaches.
cal influence in the former formal dialogue and 77.2 China's is more an invasive, Yang, secretary-general Many in the business com-
British colony. percent oppose China aggressive and offensive of the think tank Chinese munity are already urging
Jarringly for many Taiwan- for holding pledges that it one." Council of Advanced Poli- Tsai to climb down from
ese, Xi mixed his outreach could use force against Tai- China ruled Taiwan loosely cy Studies. her refusal to meet Bei-
with a reminder that Beijing wan if needed. under the former Qing dy- "Hong Kong is totally con- jing's "one China" demand,
had no intention of drop- Both polls had a margin of nasty and the island was trolled by mainland China," largely as a way of easing
ping its threat to use military error of plus or minus 3 per- made a Japanese colony Yang said. "Even though pressure on the island.
force to bring the island un- cent. in 1895. Handed over to they have their autonomy, "'One country, two systems'
der its control. "The most important thing Chinese leader Chiang Kai- they have limited freedom, could bring more people in
Xi's speech was seized on is that Xi Jinping made the shek's Nationalists at the and certainly there is no and out, and this is good,"
by Tsai, who went on a speech on Taiwan and Tsai end of World War II, it split democracy in Hong Kong, said dried fruit merchant Yu
four-day media blitz in Tai- Ing-wen gave a rare re- again from the mainland as far as Taiwanese are Chen-ching, 65. q