U.S. spy agencies see more Chinese pressure on Taiwan in Xi’s 3rd term

• Beijing will continue to press Taiwan on unification and try to undercut U.S. influence in the region as Chinese leader Xi Jinping begins his third term, according to an annual report by the U.S. intelligence community.
• The conclusions were made as part of the “Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community” issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which was presented to Congress on 8 Mar.
• The ODNI said that Beijing sees U.S.-China relations as part of an “epochal geopolitical shift,” the report said, and therefore views Washington’s measures against it as part of a broader U.S. effort to “prevent China’s rise and undermine the CCP’s rule.”
• The ODNI said China was increasingly combining its growing military power with its economic, technological and diplomatic influence to strengthen CCP rule, secure its territorial claims and pursue global influence.
• On the issue of Taiwan, the report also said that in 2023, Beijing will continue to apply pressure and possibly offer inducements for Taiwan to move toward unification, while also reacting to what it views as increased U.S.-Taiwan engagement.

External Link : https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202303090010