China
China Slaps Down Taiwan’s Offer for Talks
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In a victory for Taiwan’s democracy, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) retained the presidency of the country for a third consecutive term. The legislative election resulted in the DPP winning 51 seats to the Koumintang’s (KMT’s) 52 seats, with 8 going to the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). While president-elect Lai Ching-te has offered to speak with China “on the basis of dignity and parity,” the CCP has put its propaganda machine in full gear in an attempt to undermine Lai’s mandate in Taiwan and internationally.
CCP Claim #1: Taiwan is Not Sovereign
First, the CCP continues to reject Taiwan’s sovereignty. While some CCP officials make clear statements like “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China,” as cited by China News, the CCP’s references to Taiwan’s elections also indicate this view. For example, Global Timesmentions “Taiwan’s regional elections,” while China Daily refers to “the local leadership election on Taiwan island,” and “the local leadership election held on the Chinese island” in another article.
CCP Claim #2: Taiwan’s Election Does Not Reflect the Will of the People
Additionally, the CCP claims that, despite the DPP’s victory in Taiwan’s presidential election, the party does not represent the will of the Taiwanese people. According to one Global Times editorial, “Business representatives from the Taiwan region and experts” have “urged” the DPP “to abandon the previous approach of provoking ‘independence’ and confrontation,” while “emphasiz[ing] that [the DPP’s election win] has steered the island away from peace and prosperity, leading it toward conflict and recession.” Of course, the Global Times provides no evidence to back up these claims.
Additionally, a spokesman for China’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office strangely spun the results of the legislative election, which saw the DPP receiving 51 seats to the KMT’s 52 seats as “results [that] reveal that the DPP cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island,” according to China Daily. Another China Daily editorial stated that a “reunification” between China and Taiwan “…has always been the dream of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and this is the firm and clear policy of the Chinese government and strong aspiration of the Chinese people [referring to both the population of China and Taiwan].” But while the CCP frequently claims China and Taiwan share “Chinese” identities, a recent polls shows views towards unification are at record lows and that only three percent of the island’s population identifies as primarily Chinese.
CCP Claim #3: DPP is Instigating Cross-Strait Tensions, Not China
The CCP also continues to falsely claim that it is the DPP that is instigating tensions, not China. The DPP harbors a “hostile and separatist policy towards the Chinese mainland,” according to Global Times, and is “secessionist-minded,” according to China Daily. Similarly, newly elected president Lai Ching-te is “notorious for his separatist stance,” according to Global Times, a “staunch secessionist” according to China Daily, and “…has never been compromising, but [is] extremely conservative and stubborn,” according to another Global Times article.
According to a CCP spokesman at the Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom: “The DPP authorities, clinging to a separatist stance, have colluded with external forces in successive provocative actions designed to divide the country. They [are]…deceiving the people of Taiwan and inciting hostility against the mainland….” According to a Chinese commentator on affairs with Taiwan, “If the DPP remains in power, it will undoubtedly severely impact cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation,” according to Global Times. Other analysts in that same article argued that the politics of the DPP, by interfering in cross-Straits trade, would cause Taiwan’s economy to shrink.
CCP Claim #4: China Can Work with All “Relevant Political Parties”
In a further attempt to undermine the DPP and genuine peace talks, the CCP states that it is willing to work with what it labels “relevant political parties,” that is, not the DPP. China Daily refers to Taiwan’s Kuomintang party as the “Chinese Kuomintang party,” while Global Times makes a strange and muddled argument that increased seats won by the KMT and the TPP “are a reflection by the Taiwan people on the fact that over the years the DPP’s absolute power has led to absolute corruption and abuse of power.”
Despite the DPP’s realistic views towards a belligerent China, president-elect Lai and current president Tsai Ing-wen have stated many times that they are willing to engage China diplomatically based on mutual respect. China, unsurprisingly, refuses to accept Taiwan’s olive branch of peace, instead choosing to once again wage a toxic propaganda campaign against the island. Only time will tell if China escalates the conflict that it has created.
China
Pentagon Report Reveals China’s Rapid Nuclear Expansion, Doubling Previous U.S. Estimates
China’s nuclear arsenal has surged to over 500 warheads—more than double the previous U.S. estimate—according to a newly released Pentagon intelligence report. This “rapid expansion” is raising alarm among U.S. officials as Beijing aggressively accelerates its military capabilities and steps up hostilities toward allied states in the Pacific.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reports that in 2020, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessed that China had amassed roughly 200 nuclear warheads and projected that the count could reach 400 by 2030. But the latest findings show China has already far exceeded that estimate, and the Pentagon now believes China could have over 1,000 operational warheads by 2030.
According to the report, China’s current nuclear build-up represents the most rapid and ambitious modernization effort in its history, indicating the nation’s long-term strategy for sustained competition with the U.S. and signaling an operational readiness for intensified strategic concepts. China’s arsenal, composed of various nuclear warheads, can be launched from a range of platforms, including submarines, ground-mobile systems, and aircraft. The DIA report also notes that China is building additional facilities for the production of fissile materials to further scale up its nuclear arsenal.
The report suggests that China remains committed to a “no first use” nuclear policy—meaning it would only launch a nuclear strike in retaliation. However, China’s “launch-on-warning” policy enables it to strike back preemptively if it detects an incoming attack.
“China is fielding new nuclear capabilities at a faster pace than at any time in its history,” the DIA report reads, emphasizing the military’s objective to achieve parity with the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Despite Beijing’s statements about maintaining a defensive posture, the Pentagon warns that China’s rapid nuclear advancements could lead to an increased risk of miscalculation.
The Pentagon report highlights China’s growing capability and confidence, suggesting that Beijing’s bolstered nuclear deterrence over the next decade could embolden its leaders. This, in turn, increases the risk of miscalculations and escalations as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) builds up the capability to counter the U.S. across various domains.
A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. downplayed concerns, pointing to America’s extensive nuclear arsenal as a primary security risk. “China is committed to a defensive nuclear strategy and a policy of ‘no first use’ of nuclear weapons and keeps our nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required by national security,” the spokesperson told the DCNF.
The report also reflects a lack of transparency in U.S.-China relations, with military talks largely suspended since 2022 and only resuming recently. This limited communication between the nations further fuels apprehension within the international community.
China’s nuclear expansion aligns with its broader military ambitions under President Xi Jinping, who has ordered the PLA to be prepared for a possible invasion of Taiwan by 2027. Although the U.S. maintains a “strategic ambiguity” policy toward Taiwan—meaning it does not disclose how it would respond to a Chinese invasion—the potential for conflict has heightened as China’s military power grows.
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