China criticized the U.S. on Monday for comments shared by the U.S. State Department over the weekend, calling for China to cease its increasing waves of provocative military flights around the island of Taiwan.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, vowed to “crush” all attempts to assert Taiwan’s independence from the Chinese mainland.
On Sunday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, “The United States is very concerned by the People’s Republic of China’s provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilizing, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability. We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan.”
In response to Price’s remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said, “Taiwan belongs to China and the US is in no position to make irresponsible remarks. The relevant remarks by the US side seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués and send an extremely wrong and irresponsible signal.”
Price’s original statement came in response to a pair of back-to-back record-breaking Chinese military flights into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ). On Friday, China flew a record 38 warplanes into Taiwan’s ADIZ, followed by a new record 39 warplanes into Taiwan’s ADIZ the very next day on Saturday. On Monday, the day after Price’s warning statement, China sent an even larger wave of 52 military aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ.
Hua also criticized the U.S. for a recent arms sale the Biden administration approve for Taiwan, as well as U.S. military aircraft landing in Taiwan to deliver COVID-19 vaccines.
“For quite some time, the US has been making negative moves by selling arms to Taiwan and strengthening official and military ties with Taiwan, including the launch of a $750 million arms sale plan to Taiwan, the landing of US military aircraft in Taiwan and frequent sailing of US warships across the Taiwan Strait,” Hua said. “These provocative moves undermine China-US relations and regional peace and stability. China is firmly opposed to them and has taken necessary countermeasures.”
Hua then said “China will take all necessary measures to resolutely crush all attempts at ‘Taiwan independence.'”
“The US should correct its mistakes, earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués, prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues, stop supporting and emboldening separatist forces of ‘Taiwan independence,’ and take concrete actions to safeguard rather than undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
In an interview with Australia’s ABC News Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said his country is preparing for war with China.
“If China is going to launch a war against Taiwan we will fight to the end, and that is our commitment,” Wu told ABC News.
Wu also called on Australia to increase its intelligence sharing and security cooperation in response to Beijing’s increased pressure campaign.
