Zhang Weiwei, director of the Institute of China Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, recently declared in a speech that, influenced by short video platforms like Xiaohongshu, he believes governing Taiwan after unification will be easier than governing Hong Kong. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Chiu Chui-cheng also urged users to be discerning and judicious when using Chinese apps to avoid being targeted by Chinese "united front" tactics.
Zhang Weiwei recently gave a speech at Wuhan University. In response to a student's question about the Taiwan issue, he said that the time for resolving the Taiwan issue is increasingly ripe. "Maybe one day you'll wake up and find yourself liberated!"
Regarding the issue of young Taiwanese not identifying with China, Zhang Weiwei believes that with the rise of the internet, including popular platforms like Xiaohongshu, young Taiwanese are increasingly influenced by mainland China. "I believe that after Taiwan's unification, governing Taiwan will be easier than governing Hong Kong."
Zhang Weiwei said, "In the past, we always talked about 'one country, two systems'; if you don't accept it, we will go with 'one country, one system'. It's very simple."
According to the Central News Agency, in response to this, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Chiu Chui-cheng responded in an interview on Monday (26th) that TikTok and Xiaohongshu are both related to China's united front work against Taiwan, and called on the public to be extra careful about personal information and the united front remarks when using these Chinese mainland apps to avoid being targeted by China's united front work.
Wake up and feel liberated? Dong Liwen: Sleep slowly!
Regarding Zhang Weiwei's remarks about Taiwan, Dong Liwen, an advisory member of a Taiwanese think tank, said in an interview with this station that, first, Zhang Weiwei acknowledges that Xiaohongshu has the effect of united front work and brainwashing, especially targeting young Taiwanese. Secondly, since Zhang Weiwei believes that China will naturally be "unified" after waking up from a nap, then why not just take it easy? Let's all just take it easy!
Professor Fan Shiping of the Department of East Asian Studies at National Taiwan Normal University told this station that Zhang Weiwei's statement is exactly the same as that of the mainland Chinese woman Yaya, who advocates for "military reunification." If a scholar's statement is the same as that of a mainland Chinese woman, it means that he is just spreading propaganda! Hong Kong's "One Country, Two Systems" at least has the Sino-British Joint Declaration as its legal basis, but he cannot clearly explain how to unify Taiwan. "He avoided discussing the most crucial issue: Will the Taiwanese people accept it? Will it be reunified peacefully or by force? If 'military reunification' is required, it will face technical and practical difficulties. But if 'peaceful reunification' is required, there is currently no communication between the two sides of the strait, not even a communication mechanism. How can 'peaceful reunification' be achieved?"
Zhou Zhihuai proposed four dangerous perceptions of Taiwan
In addition to Zhang Weiwei, many Taiwanese media quoted a report from China Review News Agency, pointing out that another executive director of the China Taiwan Research Association and former director of the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Zhou Zhihuai, proposed the so-called four "dangerous cognitions" that impact the current peace in the Taiwan Strait at the "Tenth Taiwan Strait New Observation Conference" on the 24th. They are: Taiwanese society's hostile perception of the mainland, the perception of insensitivity to the harm of "Taiwan independence", the perception that "the Democratic Progressive Party protects and loves Taiwan, and the Kuomintang sells Taiwan and harms Taiwan", and the blind belief that Taiwan can "seek peace through strength".
He declared that the four "dangerous perceptions" mentioned above are the primary social foundations undermining peace in the Taiwan Strait. "Only by eliminating these shared dangerous perceptions can peace in the Taiwan Strait be effectively maintained." However, he also emphasized two prerequisites: not abandoning "peaceful reunification" and continuing to strive for a shared understanding of "reunification."
If Taiwan were in a state of war, Fan Shih-ping would question whether Nvidia would expand its investment.
In contrast, Fan Shiping pointed out that Zhou Zhihuai, as an expert on Taiwan issues within the system and a long-time observer and researcher of cross-strait dynamics, reflects greater policy anxiety in his remarks. He mentioned a fourth misjudgment: "Taiwanese people blindly believe in peace through force." Fan Shiping doesn't believe the Taiwanese are naive. On the contrary, "China should consider why, despite the constant verbal and military intimidation, the Taiwanese people haven't lost their resolve."
Fan Shih-ping further pointed out that if Taiwan is truly "in a dangerous and dangerous situation" as China claims, then why would Nvidia Chairman Jensen Huang choose to expand investment in Taipei? China's intimidation and threats run counter to foreign investment confidence. He said, "Zhou Zhihuai actually sees the dilemma of China's Taiwan policy. Compared to the United States, which has deep-rooted influence on Taiwan, China can currently only exert pressure abroad, and its truly effective local partners are gradually declining."
Dong Liwen: China's anti-Taiwan independence efforts are in vain
Dong Liwen's interpretation of Zhou Zhihuai's report was held at a public forum. The main body of the report indirectly acknowledges that China's Taiwan policy, despite the CCP's harsh rhetoric and numerous policies introduced over the past few years, has become ineffective. The four "dangerous perceptions" are ostensibly a criticism of Taiwan. In reality, they are a subtle criticism of the CCP's efforts to combat Taiwan independence, which have been in vain.
"The CCP's speeches are full of low-level red and high-level black speeches," Dong Liwen continued. "So Zhou Zhihuai's final two conclusions are the political stance. Don't give up on peaceful reunification, and we need to discuss reunification together. This is also what Xi Jinping said."
In 2019, at the commemoration meeting of the 40th anniversary of the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan", Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed that on the common political basis of upholding the "1992 Consensus" and opposing "Taiwan independence", political parties and sectors from both sides of the Taiwan Strait should nominate representative persons to conduct extensive and in-depth democratic consultations on cross-strait relations and the future of the nation, and reach institutional arrangements to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.
Dong Liwen analyzed that, compared to the active comments from Chinese scholars, Chinese officials have been relatively quiet regarding the May 20th inauguration anniversary of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te. This is a crucial moment in US-China negotiations, a matter of life and death for the CCP. China is also reluctant to create unnecessary complications in the Sino-US relationship.
