SINGAPORE: The prospect of peaceful “reunification” with Taiwan is being increasingly “eroded” by Taiwanese separatists and external forces, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said on Sunday (Jun 2), promising to ensure independence never happens.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the strong objections of the government in Taipei, and last month staged war games round the island in anger at the May 20 inauguration of President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing calls a “separatist”.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference in Singapore, Dong said Taiwan was the “core of core issues” for China, but Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party is incrementally pursuing separatism and bent on erasing Chinese identity.
“Those separatists recently made fanatical statements that show their betrayal of the Chinese nation and their ancestors. They will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history,” he said.
“China stays committed to peaceful reunification. However, this prospect is increasingly being eroded by separatists for Taiwan independence and foreign forces,” Dong added.
“We will take resolute actions to curb Taiwan independence and make sure such a plot never succeeds.”
China has been repeatedly angered by US support for Taiwan, even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, such as arms sales.
Dong called the arms sales a test of China’s “red lines”.
“They are selling a lot of weapons to Taiwan. This kind of behaviour sends very wrong signals to the Taiwan independence forces and makes them become very aggressive. I think we are clear that the foreign power’s true purpose is to use Taiwan to contain China.”
Andrew Yang, a former Taiwan defence minister, said Beijing has said it will pursue “reunification” by winning the hearts and minds of Taiwanese but “their deeds have yet to match their words”. Beijing instead is “holding a big stick” and is “confrontational and contradictory”, he said.
Yang said he hopes the US will keep to its schedule of arms sales to Taiwan so the island can enhance its self-defence.
Taiwan has for the last two years complained of delays in deliveries of US weapons, such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as manufacturers supply Ukraine to support it in the war against Russia.
Taiwan’s president, Lai, has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing, but been rebuffed. He says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
On Saturday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stressed that the Indo-Pacific region remained a key focus for Washington.
“Let me be clear: The United States can be secure only if Asia is secure,” Austin said. “That’s why the United States has long maintained our presence in this region.”
The Shangri-La Dialogue, one of the world’s top defence forums, has been viewed as a barometer of US-China relations in recent years.
Dong and Austin met for more than an hour on Friday, the first substantive face-to-face talks between the two countries’ defence chiefs in 18 months.
In response to Austin’s speech, Chinese Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng said the US Indo-Pacific strategy was intended “to create division, provoke confrontation and undermine stability”.
Some US officials say Beijing has become more emboldened in recent years, recently launching what it described as “punishment” drills around Taiwan, sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks after Lai Ching-te was inaugurated as Taiwan’s president.