TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – China will publish its first white paper on defense since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which saw the reformation of People's Liberation Army (PLA), at 10 a.m. on Wednesday (July 24), Voice of America reports.
Xinhua News Agency announced the report's release date on Monday (July 22). The Voice of America believes that the paper, titled “China’s Defense in the New Era” (新時代的中國國防), will incorporate "Xism," formally known as Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (習近平新時代中國特色社會主義思想), and mark the completion of the military's restructuring.
The previous white paper, released in 2015 as “China’s Military Strategy” (中國的軍事戰略), emphasized that “unification is a historical inevitability for the great renewal of the Chinese nation.” The paper portrayed the Taiwan independence movement as the greatest threat to that objective.
The 2015 report also mentioned that “cross-strait relations are developing peacefully,” a perception that is likely to change in light of the growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region in recent years, according to news portal HK01. Beijing's remarks on Taiwan have also become more and more aggressive, with the Ministry of National Defense claiming in January that Taiwan would face “only death” if it refuses to be unified.
