He also mocked China’s ‘ridiculous’ vow to brainwash the Taiwanese population, in comments to NR.
He also mocked China’s ‘ridiculous’ vow to brainwash the Taiwanese population, in comments to NR.
T aiwan’s top ambassador in New York, James Lee, condemned as “uncivilized” the Chinese government’s threat to implement a “reeducation” campaign in Taiwan — which would occur, presumably, after a theoretical invasion of the island country.
The threat to “reeducate” the Taiwanese population came amid Beijing’s stepped-up military intimidation campaign in the Taiwan Strait.
China’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, gave two television interviews last week, in which he vowed that Beijing would pursue a “reeducation” of the Taiwanese population after “reunification,” or absorption, by the communist mainland government. Lu argued that such a program was necessary in light of the Taiwanese government’s “desinicization” of Taiwan, saying that most people in Taiwan would support the Chinese Communist Party in the absence of “anti-Chinese propaganda” pushed by the country’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
Lee, in an interview with National Review, labeled the Chinese envoy a “typical Wolf Warrior.” But, he suggested, the threat was still worrying.
“Lu’s use of the word ‘reeducation’ denotes brainwashing. It reflects the mindset of the CCP,” which he said demands that people give up opinions contrary to the party line. “His words only remind us of the Uyghurs detained en masse in reeducation camps in Xinjiang for political indoctrination.”
During an interview on France’s BFMTV, in which Lu, the Chinese envoy, initially debuted the reeducation line, he claimed that such an effort would not be forced on people and that it would resemble France’s civic education. The example of Xinjiang, where upwards of 1 million people have been detained arbitrarily in camps and subjected to atrocities, suggests, however, that the CCP’s potential reeducation work in Taiwan may be similarly brutal.
Taiwanese netizens mocked Lu’s comments as “ridiculous,” Lee said, adding with a laugh, “they certainly will not accept that. Reeducation is really, really far away from our mindset.”
Lee also addressed Lu’s comments claiming that a majority of Taiwanese people want reunification with the Beijing government:: “If he truly believed that, and if the will of the people in Taiwan mattered that much to China, then I suggest the Chinese government just announce to the world, declare to the world, that the future of Taiwan should be decided based on the self-determination of the 23 million Taiwanese people.”
That way, he said, “you can test whether the majority of people in Taiwan want to be reunited with the CCP or not.”
In light of Beijing’s escalation in recent weeks, the comments by Lu, a hard-liner, seem to reflect a new message by CCP officials regarding Taiwan. Not only did Lu twice defend this push for “reeducation” in TV interviews, but the Twitter account of China’s embassy in Paris tweeted out Lu’s comments.
Then, this week, a second Chinese ambassador echoed Lu’s comments. Addressing Australia’s National Press Club on Wednesday, Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian confirmed that Beijing would undertake an effort to reeducate Taiwanese people were the island to come under its control. Although he claimed not to have read Lu’s remarks, Xiao said: “My personal understanding is that once Taiwan is reunited, coming back to the motherland, there might be a process for the people in Taiwan to have a correct understanding of China.” Xiao also defended the party’s reeducation campaigns in Xinjiang, while saying that he’d “rather not use the word ‘reeducation.’”
As Lu did during his recent interviews, Xiao reaffirmed that Beijing is maintaining an invasion as one of its options for achieving Taiwan’s so-called reunification.
Lee told NR that he believes Lu’s reeducation comments will galvanize people to confront the Chinese threat. “I think Beijing’s shock-and-awe tactics will only deepen skepticism in Taiwan. So Mr. Lu’s comment is uncivilized and unhelpful,” he said.
Asked if he believes the Chinese Communist Party leadership shares Lu’s intent regarding reeducation and reunification, Lee answered soberly: “I believe so.”