Former Chinese Envoy Says Taiwan Is 'Life-Or-Death Question' For Xi Jinping: 'Everything Else Is Negotiable'

Former Chinese Ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, said Taiwan is paramount to Xi Jinping, as he stressed the need for U.S. understanding and respect of Beijing’s stance on Taiwan.

What Happened: Speaking to the South China Morning Post on Sunday, Cui characterized Taiwan as a life-or-death issue for China that does not allow for compromise.

"The Taiwan question is a matter of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity. So this is something like a life-or-death question for China … there's no room for concession," he said.

"This is life and death for all Chinese. So we have to be prepared to do anything to defend our national sovereignty."

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Cui, who served as Beijing’s Ambassador to the U.S. from 2013 to 2021, insisted that Beijing will pursue peaceful reunification as long as the one-China principle is respected. "everything else is negotiable," he said.

Although retired, Cui continues to be actively engaged in unofficial China-U.S. exchanges. Despite geopolitical tensions, he expressed a positive outlook on Hong Kong’s future as an investment hub and international financial center.

Cui critiqued Washington’s “abuse” of the national security narrative to hinder China’s economic growth, calling on the U.S. to remove trade barriers that obstruct mutual business interests.

Why It Matters: In recent discussions between the Chinese President and U.S. President Joe Biden, Xi specifically requested the U.S. to cease its arms sales to Taiwan, citing it as a significant source of strain in U.S.-China relations. Biden, however, merely publicly reiterated the U.S.’s one-China policy.

The Taiwan issue has always been a sensitive topic in U.S.-China relations. As China asserts its sovereignty over Taiwan, tensions between the U.S. and China could escalate if the U.S. continues to sell arms to Taiwan or fails to uphold the one-China policy.

Photo by Alexander Khitrov on Shutterstock

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