‘One country, two systems’ refers to the model under which Hong Kong and Macau were promised a degree of autonomy under Chinese rule
Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen. Image Courtesy Twitter
New Delhi: Taiwan has rejected China’s proposal of “one country, two systems” as tensions continue to escalate between the two over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.
“China issued its white paper in a wishful thinking way, disregarding the reality of the cross-strait situation,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen as saying.
China’s white paper on Taiwan
The remarks came after China released a white paper on Wednesday laying out how it intends to claim the island through a range of economic incentives and military pressure.
“We are ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification, but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form,” said the paper.
China will “not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures”.
It added, however: “We will only be forced to take drastic measures to respond to the provocation of separatist elements or external forces should they ever cross our red lines.”
China last issued a white paper on Taiwan in 2000.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, the island’s top policymaking body on China, rejected the paper and said the document “is full of… lies”.
“Taiwan maintains that ‘neither side belongs to the other’, and firmly refuses ‘one country, two systems’ — this is the current status of the Taiwan Strait and the reality,” it said in a statement.
“One country, two systems” refers to the model under which Hong Kong and Macau were promised a degree of autonomy under Chinese rule. It has been proposed by Beijing as a solution for Taiwan.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan.
With inputs from agencies
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