Dr. Abdolreza Farajirad, referring to the escalation of tension between China and Taiwan and the application of some trade and customs restrictions by China against Taiwan, said that America has chosen Taiwan as a platform to pressure Beijing so that it would maintain a military presence near China and to this end stop China’s growth. As China’s power increases daily, America’s pressure on this country increases through Taiwan.

He stated that China wants to resolve the conflict with Taiwan through dialogue, like what it did with England regarding Hong Kong, and it did not lead to a conflict. He stated that a group in Taiwan is against proximity to China, but another group prefers to maintain links with China in one way or another. The current government of Taiwan is opposed to close ties with China and instead emphasizes strong relations with America, but China seems to be fed up with Taiwan’s behavior. Now, Beijing is waiting for the presidential election in Taiwan and hopes that the supporters of Taiwan’s closeness to China will come to power.

This expert on international affairs continued: China does not stay idle at the same time, and the pressure on Taiwan to accept China’s sovereignty has continued alongside the option of dialogue. This pressure includes security, military, and economic areas; Chinese military and naval aircraft have repeatedly entered Taiwan’s sea and air borders, and when the Taiwanese protested, China declared that these were its own waters. On the other hand, China has started to exert economic pressure to make voters realize that they should vote for someone who pursues Taiwan’s rapprochement with China. Otherwise, Taiwan will have to endure economic and political pressures.

Farajirad stated that America is also trying to get its own supporters to vote in Taiwan’s elections. However, China does not want Taiwan to remain independent for many years, nor does it want its idea of a new Hong Kong-like Taiwan to be realized. If the field is not provided for the realization of this goal, China will definitely seize Taiwan through a military surprise and war.

Asked whether there is the possibility of a military clash between China and Taiwan, he said: It is unlikely that this will happen in 2024 because China is not economically ready to enter into a military conflict on its borders. However, the proximity between the US and Taiwan has reached its maximum, and this issue makes China more indignant. On the other hand, Taiwan hopes the US will support it if there is a confrontation.

This expert on international issues stated that China’s first priority is the development of its own economy, so it is trying not to create a conflict that would somehow provoke Europe and the US. China is sanctioned by the US, and China’s sanctions are no less than what happened to Russia in the last two years; any conflict for China may affect its economy and its long-term plans, so it is very cautious towards Taiwan. I believe that the two sides will enter into negotiations and follow the same process. China is trying to slowly approach Taiwan by air, sea, and land and normalize this issue so that the accession talks will yield results, but if this process does not work, Beijing may take military action.

Farajirad said China must guarantee its economic power for possible military action with Taiwan and must coordinate with the Persian Gulf states to supply oil in the event of a war. Perhaps one of the reasons for China’s warming up to the Persian Gulf countries in the last few years is Beijing’s long-term outlook. It seems that China’s political and economic pressures on Taiwan have not been completed yet, and it is trying to complete its sea and air pressure against Taiwan. Therefore, it is too early to say that China wants to enter into a military conflict with Taiwan in the near future. On the other hand, the Chinese have promised Taiwan that they do not want anything to change in that country; in other words, Taiwan will be under Chinese rule, but they will have independence of action, especially in the economic field.