China on Wednesday offered Taiwan assurances on energy security if the island agrees to come under Beijing’s rule, marking the latest effort to promote “reunification” between the two nations.
The proposal comes as China continues its campaign to pressure Taiwan into accepting Beijing’s authority, a move Taiwan has repeatedly rejected while maintaining independence. A spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Chen Binhua, recently told reporters that "peaceful reunification" would allow better protection of Taiwan’s energy and resource security.
"We are willing to provide Taiwan compatriots with stable and reliable energy and resource security, so that they may live better lives," Chen said.
The comments came in response to questions about Taiwan’s energy situation amid ongoing instability in the Middle East, where the Iranian conflict has disrupted global supply routes, particularly shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Taiwan has historically received roughly one-third of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar, but has secured alternative supplies in recent months, including from the United States.
The conflict has left many countries around the world looking for alternative energy supplies. According to a report by Reuters, China recently moved to restrict fuel exports through at least the end of March in an effort to prevent domestic shortages. The country exported about $22 billion worth of fuel last year.
Speaking at a meeting of the Democratic Progressive Party on Wednesday, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te stated that the island’s energy supplies are secure in the short term, with additional US natural gas shipments expected to begin arriving in June.
"Taiwan has adopted a diversified and multi-source strategic approach to energy imports," Lai said.
China, which experts have long speculated may seek to move militarily on Taiwan in the future, has long proposed a “one country, two systems” framework for Taiwan. However, Taiwanese leaders and lawmakers have consistently opposed it. In October, China’s official news agency laid out what it believed to be the potential economic benefits of unification, while stating that Taiwan would need to be governed by “patriots.”
