The Japan Times
Date: Jun 10, 2019
By: Peter Apps
LONDON – As head of Beijing’s strategic nuclear forces and its fastest rising general,
FILE PHOTO: Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe attends the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Feline Lim/File Photo
Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe had a reputation for “doing more and saying less.” It was a methodical, determined approach that made him a clear favorite of President Xi Jinping, placing him at the heart of China’s remarkable military revolution and its efforts to dominate the region.
Recently, however, in his first major international appearance, Wei chose to say a lot. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore — arguably Asia’s premier diplomatic gathering — his speech and the question and answer session were unexpectedly aggressive, even by China’s recent standards. He focused on two topics in particular: threatening Taiwan and defending the massacre of protesters in a Beijing square 30 years ago.
That may have been a mistake — particularly when it comes to Taiwan. Instead of intimidating China’s potential enemies, Wei instead unified and motivated them — particularly empowering Taiwan’s current government, which faces elections next year and has been desperate to persuade its population of the growing threat from China.
Wei’s comments were swiftly repeated and exploited by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who had been facing a strong challenge from pro-Beijing businessman Han Kuo-yu. The anniversary of the 1989 Beijing crackdown was marked in Taiwan with mass vigils and protests, and government assertions that the island would not abandon democracy or join the mainland without a fight. [FULL STORY]