Beijing ending the possibility of a repeat of the Hong Kong experience deepened fears
These days, Taiwan is attracting a significant amount of anticipation in the turbulent international scene due to the war in Ukraine, and attention is drawn to it as a potential epicenter of a crisis that some are betting on to curb the course of reshaping the international system, while others see it as an opportunity to draw a new map of regional and international balances.
It is not surprising that all the observers that Asharq Al-Awsat spoke to during the past two days in the Taiwanese capital were stopping in their reading of the new composition of the Central Military Commission in China, after the last conference of the Communist Party, which crowned Xi Jinping emperor for another five years. It has close ties to military industries and advanced security technology, which reflects Beijing’s increased interest in and preparation for potential security developments in the region, which deepens Taiwanese fears of an imminent military action targeting the island.
Adding to these fears is the failure to bet that Beijing will fulfill its promises after the restoration of Hong Kong, to allow the former British colony to continue as a global financial center governed by rules different from those prevailing on the Chinese mainland. After Beijing’s intentions were confirmed that when it spoke of “one China”, it meant its submission to a single system, hopes for a solution to the Taiwan problem in Hong Kong style evaporated, and doubts and questions became limited to the timing of taking the unification step and the means that Beijing would resort to to achieve it.
Source: Globeecho
