Taiwan running out of time to discuss peaceful reunification, says former Chinese general
- Forum told young Taiwanese are turning away from mainland but says cost of waiting too long to ‘liberate or reunite with’ island will be too high
- Beijing insists island must eventually return to mainland fold and wants talks under ‘one country, two systems’ model
Mainland observers, including a former general, warned on Saturday that time was running out for Beijing to bring Taiwan back to its fold peacefully.
Speaking at a forum in Beijing, where the US was indirectly criticised for playing the Taiwan card, they said the longer Taipei refused to discuss reunification with the mainland, the weaker its bargaining position would become.
One of the speakers, Wang Hongguang, a retired lieutenant general, acknowledged that young Taiwanese no longer identified as Chinese and wanted independence.
“The ‘independent forces’ are now the majority in Taiwan and this has become an irreversible trend,” Wang said. “In addition, public opinion on the mainland and Taiwan is moving in opposite directions and getting further and further apart.
“[I believe] that time is running out and it will be an unaffordable burden for both sides of the Taiwan Strait if we have to wait another five to 10 years for us to liberate or reunite with Taiwan,” he said.
“‘One country, two systems’ is unable to land in Taiwan and the window for peaceful reunification is closing,” he added.
