Taiwan's gradual push for independence is heading towards a perilous path, and those who support it will “end up in self-destruction,” China’s new defence minister cautioned on Sunday.
This warning came during speech at a security summit in Singapore, highlighting the intense regional tensions.
Admiral Dong Jun, the Minister of National Defense, made these remarks in a 30-minute address, which followed significant military drills by Beijing encircling Taiwan after the island inaugurated its newly elected democratic president last month.
“We will take resolute actions to curb Taiwan independence and make sure such a plot never succeeds,” Dong stated through a translator. He criticized "external interfering forces" for providing arms and engaging in "illegal official contacts" with Taiwan, hinting at the United States, which maintains a close yet unofficial relationship with the island.
“China stays committed to peaceful reunification. However, this prospect is increasingly being eroded by separatists for Taiwan independence and foreign forces,” Dong warned.
His statements reflect growing regional apprehension over Beijing's military and economic pressure on Taiwan, which has intensified under Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
During a meeting with Dong on Friday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged China not to use Taiwan's political transition—part of a routine democratic process—as an excuse for coercive actions.
China’s ruling Communist Party claims sovereignty over Taiwan, despite never having governed it, and has pledged to "reunify" with the island, using force if necessary. Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are staunchly opposed by Beijing due to their support for Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Lai has expressed a preference for maintaining the current status quo, stating that “Taiwan is already an independent sovereign country,” and there is “no plan or need” to declare formal independence. The United States, adhering to a longstanding policy, does not support Taiwan's independence nor any unilateral changes to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
Read Also | EU Condemns China's Military Exercises Near Taiwan
Read Also | China breathes fire as Taiwan's new President Lai Affirming Sovereignty
