CCP Unlikely to Annex Taiwan by Military Force in Near Future After Top Political Meeting, Analysts Say

Generals taken down at the Fourth Plenum will affect the regime’s military effectiveness, but a long-term goal to annex Taiwan remains unchanged, said analysts.

Taiwan forces conduct live-fire war games in its biggest annual military exercise presided by President Tsai Ing-wen on May 25, 2017. Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images

China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has adopted softer rhetoric about annexing Taiwan after officially taking down several generals who were key figures in the Taiwan Strait theater at its recent top political meeting, the Fourth Plenum.

Analysts said the CCP is unlikely to invade Taiwan in the near future, given internal chaos caused by the heated infighting, but the long-term goal to annex the self-ruled island remains.