Experts discuss Taiwan question at the Global Times annual forum "World Changes and Challenges under COVID-19"in Beijing on Saturday. Photo: GT

As the tension between the Chinese mainland and the island of Taiwan grows and some foreign media even predicted that the US could make more provocations to escalate the matter, experts from the two sides of the Taiwan Straits said that reunification between the mainland and the island of Taiwan will not be realized without military pressure.

They made the remarks at the Global Times annual forum 2020 held in Beijing on Saturday.

Wang Zaixi, former deputy director of the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits of the State Council and vice president of the National Society of Taiwan Studies, told the forum that the possibility of peaceful reunification of Taiwan is diminishing.

The secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the current ruling party of the island, would crack down on any party that may propose reunification with the mainland, Wang said.

Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, said at the forum, "We have seen enough political farce within the island and we attach no hope to the political forces within the island to change the status quo and make joint efforts with the mainland to realize reunification."

"The key is how the power balance of the geopolitics and strategic situation would change in the West Pacific region. As long as China has enough strength and influence and dominates the situation," reunification will only be a matter of time, Zhu said.

Chiu Yi, a Taiwan-based expert on cross-Straits relations and a TV commentator, said at the forum that whether the possibility of peaceful reunification exists or not, it depends on how to define peaceful reunification. "If it means reunification without pressure from the mainland, then peaceful reunification won't happen. If it means peaceful reunification under military pressure, then it would be possible."

But Zhu advised not to forget that a peaceful solution is still possible eventually. "The power struggle between China and the US is becoming more balanced. In fact, the US' ability, confidence and strategic space for containing and separating China is declining." 

"China's determination and willingness to peacefully solve the Taiwan question has never wavered," Zhu said. "As long as the Chinese mainland takes a stable and solid path, it is believed that the possibility of a peaceful reunification will increase."

Huang Chih-hsien, a TV commentator from Taiwan and an expert on cross-Straits ties, said at the forum that secessionists in the island should not overestimate their strength.

"How tough could Tsai Ing-wen [the head of the DPP and the regional leader of the island] and Su Tseng-chang [head of the island's executive body] be when mainland forces arrive? Or maybe they will make the Five-Starred Red Flag [the national flag of the People's Republic of China] at home to embrace the reunification," she noted.