China warns US to be ready for head-on collision over 'salami slicing tactics' in Taiwan

On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's foreign minister Wang Yi h a phone conversation with each or. This phone conversation comes at a time when re are reports that suggest Blinken is going to visit China during beginning of next year. Despite meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during sidelines of G20 summit in Indonesia, tensions between two nations remain high. 

China has sanctioned Miles Maochun Yu, who served as principal China policy visor to ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Deputy staff director of Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Todd Stein has been sanctioned as well, according to a report from South China Morning Post. se sanctions were reportedly imposed in response to US sanctions over human rights violations in Tibet. In ir phone conversation, Wang Yi apparently warned US against continuing with its "salami slicing tactics" in Taiwan. He said that Washington's tactics will le to a "he-on collision" between US and China. 

Examining Beijing's claim over Taiwan

Beijing claims Taiwan as a part of China, however, it is important to examine this claim and not take it at face value. Chinese Communist Party has never governed Taiwan. When Chinese civil war ended with victory of communists, nationalists, led by Chiang Kai Shek, fled to Taiwan and started governing island, which was formerly known as Formosa. first myth is that Taiwanese are Han Chinese and refore y are no different from people in mainland China. This is wrong. Long before Han Chinese started migrating to Taiwan, Taiwan was home of indigenous Taiwanese people. 

Qing occupation and Han migration

first recorded instance of Chinese occupation of Taiwan occurred in late 13th century, when Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) established a military presence on island. However, this occupation was short-lived. It is only in 17th Century, that Qing dynasty established a sizable presence on island, after defeating Dutch, who h established a presence in island back in 16th century.  Qing dynasty established a system of governance on island and began to encourage Han Chinese migration to Taiwan as a way to strengn its control over island. 

It may be argued that indigenous people of Taiwan did not have any identity of ir own and y were "saved" by China, from "barbarian" Europeans. This discourse is quite common in mainland China, along with underlying assumption that it was Han Chinese who "civilised" indigenous people of Taiwan. Facts from time period shine forth a light on se claims and prove how y rest on shaky legs. fact that  island's indigenous population resisted Qing rule highlights that y h ir own separate identity and viewed Qing rule as occupation. 

Uprisings during Qing occupation & transfer to Japan

Qing dynasty faced several major uprisings, including 1652-1661 Revolt of Three Feudatories and 1661-1683 Taiwan Great Upper Realm Rebellion. In 1895, following First Sino-Japanese War, Qing dynasty ceded Formosa to Japan as part of Treaty of Shimonoseki. Japan invested heavily in Taiwan's infrastructure and economy, building ros, ports, and or facilities and establishing Taiwan as a key center of tre and commerce in region. This helped to spur economic development on island and improve standard of living for many Taiwanese. Japan also invested in Taiwan's education system, establishing a number of schools and universities on island and promoting study of science and technology. This helped to create a more educated and skilled workforce in Taiwan and laid foundation for Taiwan's later economic development. 

Taiwan's path to democracy & contrast with China

Japan ruled island until end of World War II, when it was returned to Chinese sovereignty and placed under control of Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-shek. Nationalist government was soon challenged by Communist Party of China, led by Mao Zedong. In 1949, after Chinese civil war, when Communist Party emerged victorious and established People's Republic of China (PRC) on mainland, Kuomintang ( nationalists) retreated to Taiwan and established a government re. For first few deces, Taiwan was governed by an authoritarian system, just like mainland.

However, unlike mainland, Taiwan went through a process of political liberalisation in 1980s and first multi-party election was held in 1991. Since that time, Taiwan has been a democratic society, not that different from or democracies like India, UK or US. China claims that US suplying weapons to Taiwan, which will make it harder for Beijing to cross strait and occupy island, is "salami slicing".