China’s defence chief repeats menace of power towards Taiwanese independence | Taiwan

Peaceable “reunification” with Taiwan stays China’s aim however the prospect is being eroded by Taiwanese “separatists” and exterior forces, the Chinese language defence minister, Dong Jun, has mentioned.

Taiwan – which is democratically ruled, and has by no means been dominated from the Communist-run Individuals’s Republic of China – on 20 Could inaugurated its newly elected president, Lai Ching-te. The routine democratic transition was greeted with fury by the Chinese language Communist social gathering, which staged battle video games across the island as a “punishment”.

Talking on the Shangri-La Dialogue convention in Singapore, Dong mentioned Taiwan was the “core of core points” for China. He accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive social gathering of incrementally pursuing separatism and dealing to erase Chinese language id.

Dong accused Taiwan’s leaders of “fanatical statements”, whereas using fevered language of his personal in his tackle to defence officers and politicians from around the globe.

“They [‘separatists’] shall be nailed to the pillar of disgrace in historical past,” he mentioned. “The Chinese language Individuals’s Liberation Military has at all times been an indestructible and highly effective power in defence of the unification of the motherland, and it’ll act resolutely and forcefully always to curb the independence of Taiwan and to make sure that it by no means succeeds in its makes an attempt.

“Whoever dares to separate Taiwan from China shall be crushed to items and undergo his personal destruction.”

After his speech, Dong was requested a number of questions by delegates however remained preoccupied with Taiwan and needed to be prompted by the moderator to deal with different points. He accused overseas powers of interfering in “home points” and “emboldening Taiwan separatists”. “We’re very assured in {our capability} to discourage Taiwan independence.”

China has been angered by US help for Taiwan, comparable to arms gross sales, although Washington – like most international locations – doesn’t diplomatically recognise Taiwan as a rustic in its personal proper.

“They’re promoting plenty of weapons to Taiwan,” mentioned Dong. “This type of behaviour sends very incorrect indicators to the Taiwan independence forces and makes them change into very aggressive. I believe we’re clear that the overseas energy’s true goal is to make use of Taiwan to comprise China.”

Andrew Yang, a former Taiwan defence minister, mentioned Beijing had mentioned it could pursue “reunification” by successful the hearts and minds of Taiwanese however “their deeds have but to match their phrases”. Beijing was as a substitute “holding an enormous stick” and was “confrontational and contradictory”, he mentioned. Yang mentioned he hoped the US would hold to its schedule of arms gross sales to Taiwan for self-defence.

Lai has repeatedly supplied talks with Beijing, however been rebuffed. The Taiwanese president has known as for China to stop hostile actions and mentioned solely Taiwan’s individuals can resolve their future.

The annual safety discussion board in Singapore led to the primary substantive face-to-face talks in 18 months between the defence chiefs of China and the US as Dong met with Lloyd Austin. “We’ve at all times been open to exchanges and cooperation, however this requires either side to satisfy one another midway,” Dong instructed the discussion board. “We consider that we’d like extra exchanges exactly as a result of there are variations between our two militaries.”

Dong and Austin met for over an hour. After the assembly, Austin mentioned cellphone conversations between US and Chinese language navy commanders would resume “within the coming months”. China scrapped navy communications with the US in 2022 as a result of the then US Home speaker, Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan.

With Reuters and Agence France-Presse