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Taiwan would run into a “dead end” if it attempted to deny reunification by using force, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, Director General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense and spokesperson said during the December 27th, Chinese Ministry of Defense press conference.
The entire exchange between the Wu Qian and a journalist was as follows:
“Media in Taiwan said that a PLAAF aircraft flying around Taiwan this month carried combat warheads. And Taiwan’s defense agency also said that the real combat capabilities of mainland China are advancing rapidly. What’s your comment?”
“You mentioned that Taiwan’s defense agency said that PLA’s (People’s Liberation Army) real combat capabilities were advancing rapidly. As for my comment, I should say I agree with that. I noticed that in the media report, Taiwan’s defense agency also said that this move deserved alert from Taiwan. I want to stress that it is a dead end to deny reunification by using force,” the spokesperson answered.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said it saw PLA H-6 heavy bombers, Y-8 transport aircraft and Sukhoi-30 fighter jets leaving Guangdong’s Huiyang airbase on Tuesday morning for a patrol over the Bashi Channel.
A questioned was asked regarding the flight that happened on December 18th. The answer that Wu Qian gave was that “it is PLA’s duty to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and protect national security.”
According to the South China Morning Post, the warning directly comes as a response to an announcement by Taiwan’s Defense Ministry saying that it may purchase 66 F-16V fighter jets from the US to reinforce the island’s air defense capability.
“Beijing is very unhappy to see the US is continuing arms sales to Taipei, as well as promoting more US-Taiwan official and military exchanges,” said Arthur Ding, an associate research fellow at the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm.
According to the SCMP, the Taiwanese military also detected two more PLA warships sailing outside of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. According to Beijing they were taking part in a routine training exercise.
Wu Qian also praised Chinese progress in modernizing its military:
“China follows the principle of self-reliance and independent innovation on the development of weapons and equipment, and mainly relied on its own strength for research and production. In recent years, in line with the process of national modernization, the Chinese military has pushed forward the modernization of weapons and equipment in an all-round way, and so far it has basically completed a modern system of weapons and equipment with complete functions and elements.”
Thus, despite the SCMP trying to present it as a sign of aggression by China, most, if not all of the citations in the article were taken out of context.
The world sold out Taiwan some time ago. I am not concerned. Taiwan will return to China whether it wants to or not. Simple. Cordon it and starve it out!
International politics is guided first, second and thirdly foremost by self interest. It’s in the self interest of most countries to be more on good terms with Beijing then it is with Taipeh. Beijing won that particular battle long ago. It’s only the US which still sees some value in Taiwan as a conveniently located aircraft carrier off China’s coast.
Yes you are right but America can still rope in all the vassals- to fight her wars- to keep China out of Taiwan.
Not going to happen, as its one thing to contribute a small token military force to yet another American Middle Eastern invasion, its a wholly different thing to commit national suicide by becoming America’s cannonfodder in a war with China. The Japanese are not going to fight China to save Taiwan. The South Koreans aren’t going to fight China over Taiwan, the Australians aren’t going to fight China over Taiwan.
You gotta keep in mind that vassals, while nominally tied to their feudal overlord, also have their own policies that often run counter to it. And many a medieval monarch learned that his counts, barons, earls and whatever were just as likely to strike a deal with his enemies and betray him then they were to fight for him. Almost every medieval war is basically one giant complicated mess of alliances and backstabbing, interspersed with only the occasional battle. I reckon America’s East Asian allies are just as willing to cling to America’s broad military shoulders to do the dirty work for them as America’s European allies are. With the added complication that China dangles a big economic carrot to America’s East Asian allies that Russia can’t hope to match to America’s European allies.
Well put.
The world sold out Taiwan some time ago. I am not concerned. Taiwan will return to China whether it wants to or not. Simple. Cordon it and starve it out!
I do believe Taiwan has the right to self-determination just like any other country, unfortunately for them, they’ll soon find out just how reliable an ally & partner the United States is, just like the Kurds did a few weeks ago.
bigaesswangmane yes but