TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China on Wednesday offered Taiwan the prospect of stable energy supplies if Taipei gives up its sovereignty as part of its push for unification.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson Chen Binhua told reporters in Beijing that closer integration with China could help address Taiwan’s energy challenges, particularly its reliance on liquefied natural gas and oil imports from the Middle East, per Reuters.
The war in Iran has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Taiwan sources roughly one-third of its LNG from Qatar, though authorities say alternative supplies have been secured for the next two months.
Taiwan’s government did not immediately respond to Chen’s proposal. Speaking at a DPP event in Taipei, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said energy supplies for March and April are stable, adding that increased US gas imports are expected to start in June.
Chen claimed China’s 14th Five-Year Plan established a diversified energy system encompassing coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, and renewable energy. He cited record electricity consumption in China exceeding one trillion kilowatt-hours in July and August last year, adding that surging demand was met without power rationing or price increases, per UDN.
He claimed such capacity could ensure sufficient electricity for Taiwanese businesses, eliminate concerns about summer power shortages, and reduce household costs.
Separately, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kurt Campbell said Washington is closely monitoring whether tensions in the Middle East could influence actions by other actors, including China.
Chen also claimed Chinese diplomatic missions had assisted Taiwanese citizens stranded in the Middle East amid the recent crisis. He asserted China’s consulate in Istanbul coordinated the evacuation of 93 Taiwanese to Shanghai and facilitated their return home.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council pushed back against the claim, with Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) describing such efforts as part of Beijing’s cognitive warfare strategy aimed at undermining public confidence in Taiwan’s government.
