Taiwan Policy from Beijing's Perspective
How Beijing views the Taiwan issue, why the CCP considers unification non-negotiable, and the strategic calculations behind the cross-strait military buildup.
The Core Interest
For the CCP, Taiwan is not a foreign policy issue but an unfinished civil war. The Chinese Communist Party won the mainland in 1949, but the Republic of China government retreated to Taiwan and has governed there ever since. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province that must eventually be reunified with the mainland. This position is not a matter of political preference but an existential commitment tied to the Party's legitimacy narrative of national rejuvenation.
Xi Jinping has elevated the urgency of unification rhetoric. His 2019 speech stated that unification is an 'inevitable requirement' of national rejuvenation and that China does not renounce the use of force. The Anti-Secession Law of 2005 authorizes 'non-peaceful means' if Taiwan moves toward formal independence. Beijing's preferred outcome is peaceful unification, ideally under a 'one country, two systems' framework similar to what was promised to Hong Kong, though Hong Kong's experience has made this formula toxic to most Taiwanese.