Benefits of reunification envisioned

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The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council published a three-part series of articles envisioning Taiwan after cross-Strait reunification in October.

Speaking at a recent news conference, the office's spokeswoman Zhang Han said that the articles detailed the numerous benefits of reunification.

"In summary, after unification, with the strong backing of the motherland, the well-being of Taiwan compatriots will improve, their development opportunities will expand, they will feel safer and more dignified, and they will stand taller and more confident on the international stage," she said.

"Taiwan will enjoy lasting peace, its people will live in prosperity and stability, and Taiwan compatriots, together with mainland compatriots, will share the dignity and glory of our great nation, ushering in a bright future of prosperity and stability."

Interests protected

"Our goal is not only an institutional reunification but also unity between the hearts of people across the Strait," one of the articles noted.

A people-centered approach is prioritized, focusing on the welfare of compatriots on both sides of the Strait. The mainland has been committed to promoting the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations, while continuously improving institutional frameworks and policy measures to facilitate cooperation and exchanges, ensuring the well-being of Taiwan compatriots, the article said.

The mainland has successively introduced a series of policies to promote cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation. These initiatives have gradually ensured that Taiwan compatriots enjoy equal treatment on the mainland in studying, starting businesses, seeking employment and living.

The mainland continues to share its development opportunities with compatriots from Taiwan. Their lawful rights and interests in economic, social and cultural aspects are effectively protected as they invest, build careers and live comfortably on the mainland, according to the article.

Under peaceful reunification arrangements, when the nation's sovereignty, security and development interests are secured, Taiwan's existing social system and way of life will be respected, and the island administered by patriots will enjoy a high degree of autonomy, the article continued.

Personal property, religious beliefs, and the legal rights and interests of local people will be fully protected in Taiwan. At the same time, their connections to the island's traditions and heritage will be valued, it added.

Economic potential

Over the past decades, cross-Strait economic cooperation has made groundbreaking progress, and a mutually beneficial and complementary pattern has largely taken shape. An increasing number of Taiwan businesspeople and enterprises are choosing to develop on the mainland, sharing the achievements and opportunities brought by Chinese modernization together with their compatriots across the Strait, the article noted.

Upon reunification, Taiwan will be able to overcome economic bottlenecks and further share national development dividends. Deeper cooperation across the Strait will help its economy achieve sustainable and faster growth, with longstanding structural issues addressed, said the article.

Agriculture, tourism and other traditional industries in Taiwan will gain new momentum through access to visitors from and consumer markets on the mainland. A common market will allow Taiwan products to enter the mainland with zero tariffs, while companies in Taiwan will be able to rely on strong capital, a large market and complete industrial supply chains on the mainland, and opportunities from Belt and Road cooperation to seek greater development. Taiwan's high-tech sectors, such as integrated circuits, precision machinery and biotechnology, will also gain from deeper industrial collaboration with their peers on the mainland and expand their business globally.

Shared resources

"We are able to deliver a better life to 1.4 billion people and are surely capable of creating a better future together with people in Taiwan," the article said, emphasizing that promoting the development of cross-Strait relations is aimed at enhancing the shared affinity and well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Strait and fulfilling their shared aspiration for a better life.

After reunification, public finances in Taiwan can be directed entirely toward improving people's lives, and the island will no longer have to suffer political infighting triggered by "Taiwan independence" secessionists.

Instead of spending lavishly on the so-called defense budget and arms deals as the Democratic Progressive Party authorities have done, public spending on healthcare, education and support for the elderly would increase significantly. Infrastructure across Taiwan Island, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu will be upgraded, including highways, railways and airports.

Resources in education, healthcare and social security can be shared across the Strait after reunification, thereby addressing long-standing livelihood challenges. Goods will flow freely across the Strait, lowering consumer prices, while employment and business opportunities will become even more accessible for the residents of Taiwan.

National confidence

Although the two sides of the Strait have been in a state of protracted political confrontation for decades, people on both sides share the same cultural heritage, ancestry and identity, according to the article.

After reunification, Taiwan residents will be able to participate more widely in international affairs and feel the confidence and pride that comes with the citizenship of a major country. With approval from the central government, foreign countries could set up consulates and other official or semi-official institutions in Taiwan, and international organizations would have offices in Taiwan. In addition, international agreements could be applied in Taiwan and international events held there.

Peace and security

"We have always stood together with our Taiwan compatriots to firmly oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities and to help ease tensions across the Strait, working toward a transition from confrontation to dialogue and improvement," the article said.

Notably, cross-Strait relations enjoyed a stage of peaceful development between 2008 and 2016, as the two sides agreed on a common political foundation of upholding the one-China principle and opposing "Taiwan independence". Improved relations brought tangible benefits to the people on both sides, especially those in Taiwan, according to the article.

However, the DPP authorities, which have stubbornly pursued a secessionist agenda, have repeatedly made provocations with support from external forces, pushing Taiwan into a perilous situation. An increasing number of Taiwan compatriots have come to realize that "Taiwan independence" leads nowhere and that reunification is an unstoppable trend. They are calling for closer cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, better economic conditions and living standards, and lasting peace and stability across the Strait, the article noted.

After reunification, risks of war, caused by "Taiwan independence" secessionists, will be removed and external interference will be prevented, allowing for peace and stability in the region to be secured. People across the Strait will then live and work in a calm environment and share a prosperous future, it said.

Commitment to reunification

Another article in the series emphasized that resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification is an essential part of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

"Reunification is not a matter of choice, but an inevitability," it said.

Developments in cross-Strait relations over the 70-plus years, especially the wide-ranging policies and measures the mainland has issued to benefit Taiwan compatriots, have resonated with the aspirations of the majority of people in Taiwan, shaping mainstream public opinion that favors peace, development, exchanges and cooperation, it added.

In the process of achieving the complete reunification of the Chinese nation, "Taiwan independence" separatists remain a small countercurrent, it noted, adding that these separatists willingly serve as tools for the United States and other Western countries in their quest to contain China, thereby harming the common interests of people on both sides of the Strait.

"The key factor determining the direction of cross-Strait relations is the development and progress of the mainland," the article said.

As the mainland's development strengths keep translating into concrete capacity and momentum for national reunification, they are destined to further fuel cross-Strait exchanges and integration. This growing connectivity will deepen the shared interests and emotional bond between people across the Strait, strengthen a common sense of national and cultural identity, and ultimately guide cross-Strait relations toward the goal of reunification.

"Given the shifting cross-Strait balance of strength and global dynamics, the situation will only become increasingly favorable for the just cause of supporting reunification," a third article of the series said. "Both sides can sit down and negotiate a reasonable 'one country, two systems' solution for Taiwan."

The second article said: "Compatriots on both sides of the Strait are all Chinese and members of one family. There is no reason why we should not work together and achieve great things, nor any reason for Taiwan compatriots to be absent from the great journey of national rejuvenation."

When cross-Strait relations thrive, Taiwan will prosper, and after peaceful reunification, Taiwan's future will be even brighter, it said.

China Daily - Xinhua