Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday that China’s determination in seeking reunification with Taiwan would not change no matter how many weapons the US sold to the island.
CHINA is staging an extensive air and sea military exercise in response to “provocations” by Taiwan independence forces, which it described as the biggest source of security risks across the Taiwan Strait.
Shi Yi, a colonel and spokesman for the Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command, said China had sent anti-submarine aircraft, fighter jets and warships to the southwest and southeast of Taiwan to test the joint operations capabilities of the forces.
“Recently, the United States and Taiwan have repeatedly provoked and sent serious wrong signals, severely infringed upon China’s sovereignty and severely undermined the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, which has become the biggest source of security risks across the Taiwan Strait. This exercise is a necessary action based on the current security situation across the Taiwan Strait and the need to safeguard national sovereignty,” Shi said in a statement.
“It is a solemn response to external interference and provocations by ‘Taiwan independence’ forces. The Eastern Theatre will continue to strengthen combat readiness training, be determined and capable to defeat all separatist activities of Taiwan independence and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement that was reported by South China Morning Post said.
Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province to be taken back under its control, by force if necessary, and has been wary of warming ties between Taipei and Washington.
Taiwan is a red line issue
The administration of US President Joe Biden has moved to consolidate ties with Taiwan, triggering serious rebukes from Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman in late July that Taiwan was one of China’s “red line” issues that should not be crossed.
But Taiwan and the US last week agreed to hold regular talks on cooperation between their coastguards, which could include joint drills near the self-ruled island.
The US also approved a new arms sale package to Taiwan, an artillery system valued at up to US$750 million.
Senior diplomats from the US, Japan, India and Australia – known as the Quad alliance – said last week they had discussed “the importance of peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.”
Most serious diplomatic crisis
Taiwan said it aimed to send a representative to a virtual Summit for Democracy to be held by Biden in December.
Mainland observers warned that it would be the “most serious diplomatic crisis in decades” between China and the US if Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was invited to the summit.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday that China’s determination in seeking reunification with Taiwan would not change no matter how many weapons the US sold to the island.
She said the US had sold arms worth more than US$70 billion to Taiwan over the past 39 years, and the administration of former US President Donald Trump had approved 11 arms sales package to Taiwan over the past four years worth US$18.3 billion.
“China urges the US to recognize the high sensitivity and serious harm of selling arms to Taiwan,” she said in a daily press conference.
Coastguard cooperation
Retired People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Colonel Yue Gang said the drills, with a combination of forces and multidimensional operations, had the potential to transform into a real attack immediately.
“This drill has two meanings – to send a warning message and to prepare for a strike. If the warning did not work, we could switch into a real assault right away,” he said.
Yue said that over the years Taiwan would have crossed the red line long ago and declared independence had it not been for the PLA’s military deterrence.
“Although Taipei is ‘slicing salami’, they still dare not to cross the line, which is the effect of the military pressure,” Yue said. “But our policy is still to try our best for peaceful reunification…so it is likely to remain a see-saw confrontation for some time.”
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