Beijing Intensifies Rhetoric and Actions Regarding Taiwan
Beijing is adopting a more assertive stance regarding Taiwan, increasing pressure on international dialog surrounding the island and demonstrating its capabilities through visible actions. This shift marks a departure from previous, more restrained approaches to the issue.
Recent friction arose after Germany’s foreign minister affirmed his country’s longstanding opposition to “violent change” in the “status quo” of the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded sharply, accusing Berlin of implicitly supporting taiwanese separatism. Spokesman guo Jiakun stated,”Those who only call for no change of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and do not oppose ‘Taiwanese independence’ are actually aiding and abetting ‘Taiwanese independence’ separatist activities.”
Experts note the severity of this response. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific programme at the US-based German Marshall Fund, commented that she had “never heard that language from Chinese officials before,” characterizing it as a significant escalation. Glaser believes these actions, including increased attention to ”Taiwan retrocession” Day, indicate Beijing is “more aggressively pressing for progress toward reunification.”
This heightened assertiveness extends beyond diplomatic responses. Late last month, Chinese state and social media platforms released high-definition satellite images of prominent Taiwanese locations – including the Alishan mountain range, Sun Moon Lake, Taipei, and the Hsinchu Science Park - captured by the Jilin-2 satellite. The images were accompanied by captions like “across the Strait, under one sky,” and the Chinese embassy in the US posted them wiht the assertion: “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.” A further post stated, “Every inch of Taiwan Province, China, is vibrant under the ‘Jilin-1’ space satellite’s outlook.”
Analysts interpret these images as a presentation of Beijing’s surveillance capabilities, signaling its ability to monitor Taiwan closely. The response within Taiwan was critical,with Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu labeling the act as “plain immature.” Chinese officials downplayed the criticism, with Ministry of National Defense spokesman Zhang Xiaogang stating it was “normal for Chinese satellites to look at the magnificent mountains and rivers of China’s Taiwan.”
Raymond Kuo, director of the RAND Corp’s Taiwan Policy Initiative, suggests this escalation is particularly noticeable following a period where China presented itself as a stable global actor. He also posits a strategic element, suggesting the moves could be intended to “prepare ground” for Chinese President Xi Jinping to seek concessions from the US regarding its protection of Taiwan during an expected April meeting with US President Donald Trump. Kuo theorizes that isolating Taiwan diplomatically could allow Xi to argue, “Already no one deals with Taiwan.”
Song Bo, a fellow at Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy, frames this as a “longer-term adjustment” of China’s Taiwan policy, spanning two to three years, and involving the removal of previously self-imposed limitations on how it manages and communicates about Taiwan. “This isn’t about sudden escalation; it’s about China normalizing actions it once restrained itself from taking,” song explained.
