China’s defence ministry cautioned on Wednesday that it was prepared for war if there was a push toward Taiwan’s freedom, blaming the United States for undermining worldwide dependability and impugning its arms sales to the self-ruled island.
This month, the Pentagon said the U.S. State Department had affirmed sales of weapons requested by Taiwan, including tanks and Stinger rockets estimated to be worth about $2.2 billion.
China reacted by saying it would impose sanctions on U.S. firms associated with such a deal.
China would make its greatest effort for peaceful reunification, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said.
“However, we must firmly point out that seeking Taiwan independence is a dead end,” Wu told a news briefing on a national defence white paper, the first in quite a long while to outline the military’s strategic concerns.
“If there are people who dare to try to split Taiwan from the country, China’s military will be ready to go to war to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity,” he said.
The United States is the primary arms provider to Taiwan, which China considers a wayward area. Beijing has never denied the utilization of power to bring the island under its control.
Washington has no formal ties with democratic Taiwan, however is bound by law to help give it the way to defend itself.
The Chinese defence document said the United States had “provoked intensified competition among major countries, significantly increased its defence expenditure … and undermined global strategic stability.”
China’s defence spending would keep up moderate and steady growth, yet it was relatively low, contrasted with other major nations, it included.
“There is still a wide gap between China’s defence expenditure and the requirements for safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests,” it said.
Reports of a secret pact with Cambodia granting China’s armed forces exclusive access to part of the southeast Asian country’s Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand were not as per the facts, Wu included.
“China and Cambodia have in the past carried out positive exchanges and cooperation on military drills, personnel training and logistics,” he said.
“This kind of cooperation does not target any third party.”
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