Taiwan News
Date: 2016-09-30
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Infighting in China in the run-up to next year’s 19th Communist Party Congress will lead to increased pressure on Taiwan, a deputy minister at the Mainland Affairs Council said Friday.

The congress, which is held once every five years, is scheduled for the autumn of 2017 and will see changes at the top of the leadership, even though President Xi Jinping is widely expected to stay on for another term as general secretary of the party.

Domestic developments in China had to be watched because they also played a part in cross-straits relations, MAC Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng told a seminar in Taipei Friday.

Xi was obviously totally unprepared to give way on issues of territorial sovereignty, which would restrict Chinese policies toward Taiwan, Chiu said. Infighting between communist officials to obtain promotions at the 19th Congress would lead to increased pressure on the Taiwan issue, according to some academics, Chiu said.     [FULL  STORY]