Amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a former Taiwanese president who supports unification that the countries “belong” together.

“Differences in systems cannot change the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to the same country and nation,” Xi said.

“External interference cannot stop the historical trend of reunion of the country and family,” Xi said, in comments reported by Taiwanese media and published by Reuters.

Beijing claims the independent island of Taiwan is a Chinese province and has threatened to use force to achieve unification. China frequently sends warplanes and naval vessels to circle the small island democracy and has been mounting an increasing number of military drills over recent years.

    • Neuromancer@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      That’s been the problem. We built a hostile nation by using cheap labor, giving them technology and now act surprised when they turn aggressive. American companies have some weird notion that countries will advanced pass being cheaper labor and will be actively competing against you

      • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
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        8 months ago

        That notion has always been just a nice fantasy that lets decision makers, who have any thoughts beyond maximizing profit, to lay those thoughts to rest and proceed with maximizing profits. The ones that never had those thoughts didn’t need this tool. Of course that’s also been sold to the rest of us, non-decisionmakers, so we don’t get in the way of that profit maximization.