DPP's risky hijacking of Taiwan's future: China Daily editorial

The situation across the Taiwan Straits has been extremely tense recently, with the People's Liberation Army Air Force having sent a record number of fighter jets to airspace close to the island during the National Day holiday — as a warning for Taiwan separatists.

Given how close economic and political exchanges were between the mainland and the island just a few years ago, the latest flare-up has been drastic. Yet it in a way testifies to the extent of damage done to the cross-Straits relationship by the provocative moves the Democratic Progressive Party has made since it assumed power on the island in 2016. By trampling on the one-China policy as embodied in the 1992 Consensus, the DPP administration has basically eliminated the political foundation for cross-Straits ties and hijacked the future of 23 million Taiwan compatriots for its own ends.

Instead of backing off from its dangerous push for independence in the face of repeated warnings from Beijing, the DPP administration has tried to portray the Chinese mainland as an aggressor and overwhelming threat to cross-Straits peace and stability.

This is because it has seen the constantly growing strength of the mainland and the gradual consolidation of conditions for the reunification of Taiwan with the motherland. Therefore, it hopes to bolster its position by gaining the protection of the United States and its allies.

What the DPP is doing is a fundamental betrayal of the nation, as it makes the DPP a pawn in Washington's strategy to contain China's development.

It is also treacherous, as it tries to pit Taiwan compatriots against their brothers and sisters on the mainland by distorting the fact that the mainland's fight against "Taiwan independence" is aimed only at the regressive moves by the DPP authority and "separatist elements" on the island, and by no means targets compatriots on the island.

In fact, the mainland has always adhered to the policy of peaceful reunification of Taiwan with the motherland through "one country, two systems". This is because "national reunification by peaceful means best serves the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole, including compatriots in Taiwan", as President Xi Jinping said in a speech on Saturday.

Despite this, the mainland has made it clear that reunification is inevitable and will be realized by force if necessary. Hopefully, this should serve as a deterrent for those who are hell-bent on separating Taiwan from the motherland.

The DPP has made a political gamble that it has no chance of winning. Unfortunately, it is staking peace and stability on its losing bet.