Never promise to renounce the use of force

"Never promise to renounce the use of force" (Chinese: 不承诺放弃使用武力; pinyin: Bù chéngnuò fàngqì shǐyòng wǔlì) is a political slogan of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) concerning its stated policy of unifying Taiwan with the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Since the 1980s, the government of the PRC and the ruling CCP have adopted "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" as their policy stance regarding the political status of Taiwan. At the same time, they have insisted on never renouncing the use of force to unify Taiwan.

Anti-Secession Law

In the 1980s, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping proposed the "one country, two systems" approach to solving the Taiwan issue. Since then, "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" has been the basic policy of the Government of the People's Republic of China.^[1] At the same time, Deng pointed out that the Government of the People's Republic of China could not promise not to use force to solve the Taiwan issue, nor could it easily use force.^[2]^: 11–13 In September 1993, the Government of the People's Republic of China issued its first White Paper on the Taiwan Question. The third paragraph of "Basic Policy of the Chinese Government on Solving the Taiwan Issue mentioned that "peaceful reunification is the established policy of the Chinese government. However, every sovereign state has the right to take all means it deems necessary, including military means, to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese government is under no obligation to make any commitment to any foreign country or person seeking to split China on the way it handles its internal affairs."^[3]^: 17

On January 30, 1995, Jiang Zemin, then General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee, delivered a speech, namely Jiang's Eight Points. The fourth point was: "We will strive to achieve peaceful reunification. Chinese people should not fight against Chinese people. We do not promise to renounce the use of force. This is not directed against our compatriots in Taiwan, but against foreign forces interfering in China's reunification and seeking 'Taiwan independence'".^[3]^: 17^[4] In March 2000, Premier Zhu Rongji made the same statement: "We have never promised to renounce the use of force, but it is not directed against the people of Taiwan" but "against foreign interference and separatist forces on the island of Taiwan seeking "Taiwan independence"."^[5] In 2001, Jiang Zemin delivered a speech at the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, stating that "we have the greatest sincerity in striving to achieve peaceful reunification, but we cannot promise to renounce the use of force."^[6]

The Anti-Secession Law is a law of the People's Republic of China, passed by the 3rd Session of the 10th National People's Congress. It was ratified on March 14, 2005, and went into effect immediately. Although the law, at ten articles, is relatively short, Article 8 formalized the long-standing policy of the PRC to use military means against Taiwanese independence in the event peaceful means become impossible.

Xi Jinping

During his tenure as General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee, Xi Jinping repeatedly reiterated that he would never renounce the use of force. The third of Xi's Five Points, published in 2019, states, "We do not renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is aimed at external interference and a very small number of 'Taiwan independence' separatists and their separatist activities, and is not aimed at our compatriots in Taiwan."^[7] On October 16, 2022, Xi Jinping made the same statement during his report at the opening session of the 20th CCP National Congress. Officials of the People's Republic of China have also used this statement.^[8]

2024 guidelines

In 2024, the PRC issued the Guidelines on Imposing Criminal Punishments on Diehard "Taiwan independence" Separatists for Conducting or Inciting Secession, based partially on the Anti-Secession Law, stating that supporters of Taiwanese independence, regardless of their location, could be tried in absentia and sentenced to death by Chinese courts.^[9]^[10]

v t e Cross-strait relations
Diplomatic posts	Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office (Taiwan) Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong Macau Economic and Cultural Office (Taiwan) Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Macau
Diplomacy	Relations between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party Opening of the South-North route Restoration of Taiwan strait shipping Kinmen Agreement Wang–Koo summit Cross-strait charter 2004 Taiwanese cross-strait relations referendum May 17 Statement 2005 Pan–Blue visits to mainland China Cross-strait high-level talks First Chen–Chiang summit Second Chen–Chiang summit Fourth Chen–Chiang summit Fifth Chen–Chiang summit Sixth Chen–Chiang summit Seventh Chen–Chiang summit Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement Cross-Strait CEO Summit Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement Jinjiang–Kinmen Pipeline 2014 Wang–Zhang meetings 2015 Xi–Chu meeting First Ma–Xi meeting 2016 Xi–Hung meeting Straits Forum Shanghai–Taipei City Forum Second Ma–Xi meeting
Conflicts	Chinese Civil War Retreat of the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan Guanbi policy First Taiwan Strait Crisis Project National Glory Battle of Dong-Yin Battle of Dongshan Battle of East Chongwu Second Taiwan Strait Crisis Third Taiwan Strait Crisis Senkaku Islands Dispute Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis August 2022 April 2023 August 2023 May 2024 October 2024 December 2024 April 2025 December 2025
Incidents	Capture of the Tuapse Kashmir Princess United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations CAAC Flight 296 China Airlines Flight 334 1987 Lieyu massacre Min Ping Yu No. 5540 incident Min Ping Yu No. 5202 1990 Guangzhou Baiyun airport collisions White Paper on the Taiwan Question Qiandao Lake incident Tzuyu Incident Sunflower Student Movement Braga incident Anti-Black Box Curriculum Movement Wang Liqiang Freedom pineapples 2021 Solomon Islands unrest 2024 Kinmen Chinese motorboat capsizing incident Liu Zhenya incident 2025–2026 China–Japan diplomatic crisis
Legislation	Cross-Strait Act Anti-Secession Law Anti-Infiltration Act Guidelines on Imposing Criminal Punishments on Diehard "Taiwan independence" Separatists for Conducting or Inciting Secession
Organizations	All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots Alumni Association of Huangpu Military Academy Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Culture Forum Cross-Strait Peace Forum Cross-Strait Relations Magazine Press Department of China Affairs of the Democratic Progressive Party Grand Alliance for China's Reunification under the Three Principles of the People Institute of Taiwan Studies Lienchiang Cross-Strait Matters Forum Mainland Affairs Council Mainland Affairs Department of the Kuomintang National Society of Taiwan Studies National Unification Council Straits Exchange Foundation Taiwan Affairs Office Taiwan.cn Taiwan Competitiveness Forum Taiwan Strait Tourism Association
Concepts	1992 Consensus Both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family China Circle China's core interests China's final warning Chinese unification Chinese nationalism Chinese irredentism Chinese Taipei Cross-Strait Economic Zone Dang Guo Davidson window Deng's Six Conceptions Diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists Four Noes and One Without Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China Hostile foreign forces Fujian Demonstration Zone Greater China Han chauvinism Huadu (Taiwan) Hu's Four Points Hu's Six Points Jiang's Eight Points Message to Compatriots in Taiwan Never promise to renounce the use of force One China One China framework One China principle One-China policy One China with respective interpretations Under the Roof of One China One Country on Each Side One country, two systems Taiwan plan Qian's Seven Points Republic of China on Taiwan Self-determination Second Republic of China (Taiwan) Socialist ideology of the Kuomintang Special non-state-to-state relations Six Assurances Silicon shield Taiwan, China Two Chinas The Three Ts Three Noes Three Links Three things that can be discussed Taiwan consensus Taiwan-related terms Theory of the Undetermined Status of Taiwan Xi Jinping Thought Xi's Five Points Ye's Nine Points Zhonghua minzu
Related	Cross-strait propaganda Fujian–Taiwan relationship Hong Kong–Taiwan relations Hong Kong–Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council Taiwan–Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council Pro-ROC camp Macau–Taiwan relations Chinese Travel Document Taiwan Entry Permit Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Resident Cross-strait language database ECFA Debate Geostrategy in Taiwan HMS Aurora (12) China and the United Nations China and the World Bank Chinese intelligence activity abroad Chinese information operations and information warfare Chinese Soviet Republic Freedom of religion in China Foreign relations of China Timeline of diplomatic relations with China Opinion polling on Taiwanese identity Political status of Taiwan Foreign relations of Taiwan Timeline of diplomatic relations of Taiwan Anti-Communist Hero Mainland spouses Milk Tea Alliance Taishang Taiwan Number One Taiwan independence movement Taiwan resident United front in Taiwan G3 Beijing–Taipei Expressway G99 Taiwan Ring Expressway China National Highway 228 (Taiwan) Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission Spamouflage Taiwan delegation to the National People's Congress Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama The World Turned Upside Down Go and Reclaim the Mainland Pro–Republic of China sentiment 2045 Reversed Front Zero Day Attack
Category:Cross-strait relations

v t e Jiang Zemin
General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party President of China Chairman of the Central Military Commission
Policies and theories	Leadership core paramount leader Three Represents Socialist market economy China Western Development Go Out policy Jiang's Eight Points Never promise to renounce the use of force Revitalize the country through science and education Program 973 Project 211 Project 985 Three-step development strategy for modernizing national defense and armed forces Three Stresses campaign Three things that can be discussed
Events	1992 reelection as Party general secretary 1997 reelection as Party general secretary Development and opening up of Pudong Deng Xiaoping's southern tour 1993 constitutional amendment Three Gorges Dam Third Taiwan Strait Crisis Great Firewall Handover of Hong Kong 1998 China floods Stopping the business activities of the Chinese military 1999 constitutional amendment Persecution of Falun Gong 610 Office 1999 China 50th National Day grand parade Handover of Macau Jiang Zemin Hong Kong journalist incident
Diplomacy	International trips 1994 Russia, Ukraine and France 1998 Japan visit United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Hainan Island incident 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship 2020 Germany, Libya, Nigeria, Tunisia and Iran visit
Works	Energy Development Trends and Major Energy Conservation Measures Science in China Selected Works of Jiang Zemin Reflections on Energy Issues in China
Family	Wang Yeping (wife) Jiang Mianheng (son)
Related	Awards Moha Shanghai clique The Man Who Changed China Walking Into the New Era World Economic Herald Death and state funeral
Category:Jiang Zemin

Never promise to renounce the use of force

Anti-Secession Law

Xi Jinping

2024 guidelines

Reactions

People's Republic of China

Taiwan

References

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