SHANGHAI, March 5. /TASS/. Mainland China will proceed based on manifestations of Taiwan's so-called independence when selecting the timing and methods for unification, Chen Shiliang, head of the secretariat of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the East China Normal University (ECNU), said in an interview with TASS.
"I believe that mainland China has its own strategic determination as far as the Taiwan issue is concerned. Especially after the election of Taiwan independence advocate Lai Ching-te [as head of the island's administration], mainland China has adjusted some of its plans to the current situation. The timing and methods of unification will be determined based on how 'Taiwan independence' will manifest itself," the expert said.
Chen was commenting on a report on government activity to a session of the National People’s Congress, the highest legislative body of the People’s Republic of China.
The document pointed out that the Chinese government firmly opposes the forces advancing the island's independence and will adhere to the One China principle in resolving the Taiwan issue.
Currently, 12 countries recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state and maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei: Belize, Vatican City, Guatemala, Haiti, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, and Eswatini.
Taiwan has been governed by its own local administration since 1949, when remnants of the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after being defeated in the Chinese Civil War. Under the One China policy, Beijing considers Taiwan to be one of China's provinces.