Taiwan's distrust of Xi Jinping's China is real

Taiwan's distrust of Xi Jinping's China is real

In Taiwan's presidential election last weekend a persistent and looming concern became all the more clear for the self-ruled island -- that Xi Jinping's China cannot be trusted.
 
But this sentiment is not limited just to those who voted for the now president-elect, the ruling party's candidate Lai Ching-te, who has pro-Taiwan-independence views. Members of Beijing-friendly opposition parties have shared similar worries as China's pressure on Taiwan has grown over Xi's time in power.
 
Former senior members of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), for example, have expressed concerns in private conversations that an armed invasion by Xi's China could actually happen.
 
When KMT heavyweight and former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou recently made remarks that were seen as extremely pro-China, sparking wide controversy, the party's campaign headquarters decided not to have him appear at a massive rally on the eve of the election.
 
Ma, who as president was the first Taiwanese leader to hold face-to-face talks with China's leader, said in an interview aired days before the election that Xi must be trusted and that Taiwan's unification with mainland China is "acceptable." The KMT camp was apparently worried that Ma's appearance at the rally could antagonize or alienate supporters.