TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Earlier in 2023, it was reported that Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) appointed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) chief propagandist Wang Huning (王滬寧) to craft a new policy for diplomatic relations with Taiwan.



This week in Beijing, Wang delivered remarks at a political conference on Taiwan Affairs and outlined his new policy. Observers have already begun referring to this policy as the “Wang Huning style” approach to cross-strait relations.

Wang reportedly acknowledged that Beijing’s approach to date has shown that many aspects of China’s Taiwan policy must be reconsidered. He offered “Four New’s” for the party to consider, including “New Concepts, New Thoughts, and New Strategies to usher in a New Era,” reported UDN.

Wang’s statements on Taiwan were much more restrained than recent rhetoric from Beijing and scores of “Wolf Warrior” diplomats representing the CCP.

Wang called for increased communication and exchanges with Taiwan to foster a greater sense of familiarity and shared ties between people on both sides of the strait, while also maintaining that Taiwan's independence will never be tolerated by the Chinese regime. He said that serious research must be carried out to determine how Beijing can establish high-quality exchanges with Taipei.

Amid so much threatening language from China on the Taiwan issue, Wang appears to have taken the role of the “good cop” and offered carrots, rather than sticks. In their reports on the conference, Chinese media noted that Wang emphasized adherence to the “one China principle” and the “1992 consensus,” but there was no mention at all of “one country, two systems.”

In the aftermath of China’s annexation of Hong Kong in 2019, Beijing was under pressure to establish a new policy approach toward the annexation of Taiwan. Beijing’s brutal approach in Hong Kong proved to Taiwan's people that Beijing could not be trusted to uphold promises like the “one country, two systems” agreement.

In January, when Wang was appointed by the Politburo Standing Committee to craft a new Taiwan policy for the party, some analysts said the appointment effectively represented the end of the “one country, two systems era.”



A report by Christian Science Monitor suggested that Wang’s new pronouncements on Taiwan represent an attempt by Beijing to step back from the brink of a potentially devastating conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The report notes that in recent months, the CCP has allowed Chinese media to criticize the idea of China going to war over Taiwan, and suggested that “rhetoric of a war may have become too close to a self-fulfilling prophecy.”



As far as specific measures that might be taken under Wang’s direction, Tamkang University Professor of Chinese Studies Chang Wu-yue (張五岳) said he believes that Taiwanese living and working in China are likely to be the greatest beneficiaries of the new “Wang Huning style” cross-strait policy, reported UDN. Beijing may begin offering greater incentives for Taiwanese to live and work in China, while also providing more benefits for those already in the country, in an effort to promote a friendlier image of China among friends and family living in Taiwan.

It remains to be seen if Wang’s approach signals a genuine shift towards a more conciliatory posture by Beijing, or if it is just carefully considered messaging to prevent further deterioration of China-Taiwan ties ahead of Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election in 2024.