China’s President Xi Jinping told European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen that Washington was trying to goad Beijing into attacking Taiwan, according to people familiar with the matter. The Chinese leader has also delivered the warning to domestic officials in his own country, one person said. Xi issued the warning in a meeting with von der Leyen in April 2023 that was described to the Financial Times by several people. He said the US was trying to trick China into invading Taiwan, but that he would not take the bait. Another person said he had issued similar warnings to his officials.
…Some Chinese academics and retired military officers have claimed that Washington is trying to provoke Beijing by providing weapons to Taiwan and pushing other measures to lure China into military confrontation. Speaking at the Asia Society in January, Cui Tiankai, a former Chinese ambassador to Washington, said China would “not fall into the trap somebody may be preparing for us”, in a veiled reference to the US. Xi’s remark to von der Leyen is the first known case of him making the claim to a foreign leader. Xi also said that a conflict with the US would destroy many of China’s achievements and undermine his goal of achieving a “great rejuvenation” by 2049. “If Xi genuinely believes that the US actively seeks conflict with China over Taiwan, then concerns that Xi has created an information vacuum or is otherwise getting poor counsel from subordinates are, worryingly, true”, said Jude Blanchette, a China expert at CSIS, a think-tank.
…Chinese anxiety over US intentions has grown in recent years, as have US concerns about assertive Chinese military activity around Taiwan. One Chinese academic said Washington was “actively encouraging independence forces in Taiwan” and the US knew that if they crossed a red line by declaring independence, China would be forced to take military action. …The Chinese embassy in Washington did not comment on Xi’s remark, but said the US was selling weapons to Taiwan and backing “independence separatist forces”.
…Blanchette said one possible explanation for Xi’s comment was that some subordinates were trying to steer him away from more aggressive policies. “Whatever the explanation for Xi’s comments, it’s clear that the decision-making environment—and the information feeding into it—is being warped, either by Xi’s lieutenants, or by his own autocratic behavior”, Blanchette said.