The Foreign Ministry responded to concerns from Taiwanese media on Tuesday regarding a recent media interview by an Al Jazeera program with a Chinese think tank official which was titled “Is Xi Jinping’s China on a path to war?”
British-American presenter Mehdi Raza Hasan of Al Jazeera’s English program “Head to Head” recently interviewed the vice president of China’s Center for China and Globalization Victor Gao (高志凱). They discussed President Xi Jinping’s governance and China’s increasing military might, which has fueled tension in the region. Gao, who also served as the former translator for Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, also discussed China’s foreign policy, including their plans for reunification with Taiwan and the possible use of force to achieve this goal.
In response to domestic media inquiries, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) dismissed Gao’s statements as unworthy of a serious rebuttal. Gao reiterated the “One China Principle” and reunification rhetoric for most of the interview, which Liu criticized, saying Gao’s claims and arguments were false and misleading.
Liu commended Hasan for his incisive questioning during the interview and encouraged Taiwanese media to review the program for themselves.
Taiwan has consistently contested the “One China Principle” and reunification claims by stating that Taiwan has never been under China’s governance.