China Alters Phrasing of Taiwan Stance

Facts

• In a government report delivered Tuesday by Premier Li Qiang, China revised its stance on Taiwan — calling for a 'reunification' rather than 'peaceful reunification' — and proposed to boost defense spending by 7.2% — as much as it did last year.¹
• This follows Taiwan's recent election, which gave the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) its third consecutive term. Beijing and Taipei have had no official communication since DPP's 2016 victory.²
• China's previous six reports since Pres. Xi Jinping's 2013 ascension to power mentioned 'peaceful reunification.'³
• China's budget, also presented Tuesday, allocated 1.67T yuan ($230.6B) to the military. Intelligence experts say the real figure could be closer to the US's defense budget from last year of more than $800B.⁴
• Data from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies shows this is the 30th straight annual hike in China's defense budget, which keeps China on its path toward Xi's goal of full modernization by 2035.¹

Sources: ¹Reuters.com, ²CNA, ³South China Morning Post and ⁴Asia Financial.

Narratives

• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. Of course the Western media is translating the dropping of the word 'peaceful' as some sort of threat to Taiwan. But China is still committed to a peaceful reunification and this change in phrasing reflects the urgency with which China views the matter, not a change in policy.
• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Business Insider. There's nothing innocuous about a rapidly militarizing China changing the tone of its official voice when it comes to Taiwan. Today's context, including Beijing's recent saber-rattling, makes this far more ominous than Beijing would have one believe. This change of language is deeply concerning.