Taiwan expects greater China pressure after Xi cements power: FM

TAIPEI: Beijing will step up efforts to pick off Taiwan´s last remaining allies after Xi Jinping secured a third term in power, as Chinese officials up the ante to show loyalty to the president, Taipei´s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

A major gathering of China´s communist leaders at the weekend saw Xi cement his status as the country´s most influential leader since Mao Zedong. Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take control of the island, by force if necessary.

It has spent decades encouraging Taiwan´s diplomatic allies to break ties in favour of China. “It is conceivable that our diplomatic situation will become grimmer,” Taiwan´s top diplomat Joseph Wu said Wednesday. He anticipated China would step up pressure on the 14 countries that still maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan as a way for Chinese officials to “show loyalty” to Xi. “We have seen some warnings in intelligence... We hope our diplomatic relations will not be influenced by China,” Wu said at a parliamentary session. “All of our embassies and missions are highly vigilant now... We will verify the intelligence and take advantageous measures to consolidate diplomatic relations.”