China-appointed Taiwan representatives take it upon themselves to promote ‘greater integration’

PROMOTING REUNIFICATION

The Taiwan issue has been in the spotlight at China’s “two sessions” meetings this year, on the back of the island’s presidential polls in January and amid simmering cross-strait challenges.

The “two sessions” are the concurrent annual meetings of China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), and its political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

“I feel very distressed that the ‘de-Sinicisation’ education in Taiwan for young people will add hundreds of thousands of new voters every year who do not recognise themselves as Chinese,” said NPC’s Taiwan delegation deputy Chen Yun Ying. 

“In every Taiwan election, we go through politicking, and that deepens the brainwashing that we are not Chinese. In fact, for our Taiwan compatriots, it is a tragedy not to identify themselves as Chinese.”

Top on the agenda at the NPC’s annual session was the promotion of cross-strait cultural and talent exchange, especially among youth.

This is part of the integration plans that China is determined to see through, said observers. 

Last year, for instance, the State Council released a development blueprint for Fujian province, making it easier for Taiwanese to buy a house and settle there.