The Chinese military has threatened to “crush” any move by Taiwan to formally proclaim independence, claiming that nothing would prevent reunification with the island, even US arms sales.
During a press briefing on Friday, less than one day before Taiwan’s presidential election, military spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang stated that the Beijing government would do everything in its power to keep the island from splitting away.
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army remains on high alert at all times and will take all necessary measures to resolutely crush any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist plots and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
When asked about Taiwan’s plans to modernise its fleet of US-made F-16 fighter jets, Zhang stated that no amount of foreign military sales could “stop the trend of complete reunification of the motherland.”
Beijing has consistently warned Taiwan against attempting to declare independence, citing the island’s status as Chinese sovereign territory. Taiwan has been self-governing since 1949, although few countries, including the United States, recognise it as an independent state.
Washington, on the other hand, has maintained informal diplomatic and security connections with the island, and has approved a flurry of billion-dollar weapons sales in recent years, incurring China’s ire on multiple occasions.
While Beijing has stressed that it seeks peaceful reunification with Taiwan, President Xi Jinping has warned that China would take military action if needed.
With Taiwanese voters due to vote on Saturday, the US government plans to send a “unofficial delegation” to Taipei over the weekend to “engage the new Taiwanese government and convey US policy in the region,” the Associated Press said.
In reaction, Beijing has asked Washington to “refrain from intervening in the Taiwan region’s elections in any form, so as to avoid causing serious damage to China-US relations.”
