Asserting that the military confrontation between China and Taiwan is unlikely, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Beijing does not need to use force in order to achieve the “reunification” of the self-ruled country.
Speaking to CNBC at the Russian Energy Week conference in Moscow Wednesday, Mr Putin said that China is capable of implementing the national objectives by increasing the economic potential.
“I think China does not need to use force. China is a huge powerful economy, and in terms of purchasing parity, China is the economy number one in the world ahead of the United States now,” the Russian president said, according to a translation.
“By increasing this economic potential, China is capable of implementing its national objectives. I do not see any threats.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping early this month vowed to pursue “reunification” with Taiwan by peaceful means and asserted that the country firmly opposes any foreign interference in the matter.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen responded in a speech Sunday, announcing that her government would invest in bolstering its military capabilities in order to “demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves”.
Tensions have escalated between Beijing and Taipei after nearly 150 Chinese military aircraft breached the airspace of Taiwan over a period of four days.
Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. China has threatened that “Taiwan”s independence” means war.
