BEIJING: As Chinese President Xi Jinping starts his third term, Beijing will continue to press Taiwan on unification and try to undercut the United States’ (US) influence in the region, according to an annual report by the US intelligence community.
The conclusions were made part of the “Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community” issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and presented to the US Congress.
As Xi Jinping begins his third term, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will continue to press Taiwan on unification, reduce US influence, and drive a wedge between the US and its partners, the report said.
Beijing sees US-China ties as part of an “epochal geopolitical shift,” the report said. Therefore China views Washington’s measures as part of a broader US effort to “prevent China’s progress and undermine the CCP’s rule,” reported Focus Taiwan.
The ODNI said China was increasingly utilizing its growing military power with its diplomatic, economic, and technological influence to strengthen CCP rule, secure its territorial claims and pursue international influence.
However, China also faces challenges from economic inequality, an aging population, high levels of corporate debt, and resistance in Taiwan and elsewhere to its “heavy-handed tactics,” the report said.
The report said that on the issue of Taiwan, China would continue to increase pressure this year and possibly offer inducements for Taiwan for unification while also strongly reacting to what it views as enhanced US-Taiwan engagement.
US fears China can take stronger measures
For example, China could take “stronger measures” to push back on perceived increased support for Taiwan, such as sending more vessels across the median line of the Taiwan Strait or firing missiles over Taiwan proper.
If Beijing succeeds in establishing control over Taiwan, the report said there would be “wide-ranging effects,” including disruption of global semiconductor supply chains “because Taiwan dominates production of cutting-edge chips.”
The report said that Beijing would likely continue using its military to “intimidate rival claimants” in the South China Sea and signal that it has effective control over contested areas.
Separately, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a US Senate hearing that the Chinese government could use TikTok to control data on millions of American users, saying the Chinese-owned video app “screams” of security concerns.
