Taiwan's talk of China attack is 'scaremongering'

Chinese official says comments by Taiwan minister about military threats from Beijing are 'complete nonsense'

Mr Joseph Wu said Beijing could attack the self-ruled island if any threat to China’s ruling Communist Party arises from social pressures that could result from any slowdown in the world’s second largest economy. PHOTO: REUTERS

BEIJING • China has said Taiwan was scaremongering with talk of a possible Chinese attack, after Taiwan's foreign minister said Beijing could resort to military conflict to divert domestic pressure if an economic slowdown bites.

Ahead of Taiwan's Jan 11 presidential election, China has stepped up a campaign to "reunify" with what it considers a wayward province, wooing away the island's few diplomatic allies and flying regular bomber patrols around it.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told Reuters last week that Beijing could attack the self-ruled island if any threat to China's ruling Communist Party arises from social pressures that could result from any slowdown in the world's second largest economy. China and the United States are in the midst of a trade war.

Mr Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for China's Cabinet-level Taiwan Affairs Office, told a regular news conference in Beijing that Mr Wu's comments were "complete nonsense and absolute rubbish".

"Recently, in order to seek benefit for the elections, they have been weaving various lies to intimidate, threaten and mislead the people of Taiwan," he said.

"I think compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait must be highly vigilant and not easily misled. China's economy is fine," Mr Ma said. "Under the current complicated economic situation, the mainland's economic development landscape is still good, and this is not something the likes of Joseph Wu can talk down," he added.

China's economic growth is expected to slow to a near 30-year low this year, putting the onus on Beijing to step up stimulus needed to sustain growth.

Mr Ma said China wants "peaceful reunification", noting that Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is the real greatest threat to peace, pushing independence and inciting enmity.

Taiwan was trying to "cover up" the island's own economic problems, Mr Ma said.

Taiwan's economy grew at its fastest pace in more than a year in the third quarter, as a rebound in demand for tech products for the year-end peak season gave manufacturers a boost and "offset" the impact of trade disputes.

President Tsai Ing-wen is seeking another term in office next year. Ms Tsai, whose DPP suffered a major setback in last November's local elections, has been regaining support since she denounced Chinese President Xi Jinping's plan to apply to Taiwan the same "one country, two systems" principle that it applies to Hong Kong.

Mr Xi, in a speech in January to mark the 40th anniversary of a call from Beijing to end military confrontation across the Taiwan Strait, said that although China reserves the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, it will strive to achieve peaceful "reunification".

Mr Ma separately confirmed that three people from Taiwan who had been reported missing in China were being investigated on suspicion of harming national security. He gave no details.

REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 14, 2019, with the headline Taiwan's talk of China attack is 'scaremongering'. Subscribe