[Salon] Bid to change Taiwan law that prompted Beijing to warn of war risk falls at first hurdle

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338958/bid-change-taiwan-law-prompted-beijing-warn-war-risk-falls-first-hurdle?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage

Bid to change Taiwan law that prompted Beijing to warn of war risk falls at first hurdle

6 Jan 2026

Critics warned the proposed change to a law concerning mainland China risked Beijing’s anger by moving towards de jure independence

A controversial plan to change Taiwan’s law governing relations with mainland China, which critics said could edge the island towards “de jure independence”, appears to have collapsed within days.

The failure of the draft legislation to even reach the legislature’s agenda committee underscored the sensitivity of the issue amid mounting pressure from Beijing, which warned on Sunday that a declaration of independence would mean war.

The initiative to amend the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area was spearheaded and made public on Saturday by Lin I-chin, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

It sought to rename the law the “Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China Relations Act” and remove the phrasing “prior to national unification” as well as references to both sides of the Taiwan Strait as “regions”.

Lin said these changes would better reflect political reality.

The reason for the proposal’s apparent collapse was unclear with two sides trading accusations as the mainland-friendly KMT accused Lin of quietly pulling the legislation.