Taiwan

Beijing Softens Its Taiwan Message, But Analysts See Weakness Behind the Warmth

Beijing is trading threats for farm deals, but Taipei says the appeals to kinship are an offensive strategy of ‘false integration, real pressure.’
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Beijing Softens Its Taiwan Message, But Analysts See Weakness Behind the Warmth
People gather at a lookout point as the landmark Taipei 101 building is seen in the background in Taipei on Jan. 14, 2026. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images
Sean Tseng
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For three years, the Chinese official in charge of Taiwan policy used his speech at Beijing’s largest cross-strait gathering to drive home one theme: a stern, repeated warning against Taiwanese independence.

This year, he barely mentioned it.

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Sean Tseng
Sean Tseng
Author
Sean Tseng is a Canada-based reporter for The Epoch Times covering U.S.–China relations, CCP politics, trade policy, and emerging technologies including AI and defense. He holds a BASc in mechanical engineering from the University of British Columbia.