Li Shangfu
China’s Defence Minister Li Shangfu warned against playing with fire when it comes to Taiwan, the Chinese Defence Ministry reported.
Days earlier, Beijing had denounced Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai for making stopovers in the United States, labelling him a troublemaker.
In a statement, China’s defence Ministry stated, “In an apparent dig at the US, Li warned that any attempts to use Taiwan to contain China would certainly surely end in failure”.
Li Shangfu stated at the Moscow Conference on International Security that Taiwan’s reunification with the mainland was inevitable.
“Li mentioned that the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair that brooks no external interference. The reunification of China is an inevitable historical trend”, The Chinese Defence Ministry continued.
“Playing with fire on the Taiwan question and attempting to ‘contain China with Taiwan’ will undoubtedly end in failure”, Li remarked.
Li’s remarks resembled prior declarations by Chinese officials but the setting was crucial and symbolic given Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine
Meanwhile, Li’s remark on Taiwan follows a backlash from Beijing after Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai, a front-runner in the island’s forthcoming presidential election, made planned stopovers in the United States while travelling to Paraguay for an official visit.
According to Taiwan’s presidential office, Lai stated, “When Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, and when there is peace on the Taiwan Strait, there will be world peace”.
“No matter how great the threat of authoritarianism is to Taiwan, we absolutely will not be scared nor cower, we will uphold the values of democracy and freedom”, he added.
According to the statement, China strongly opposes any official interaction between the US and Taiwan, as well as any Taiwan independence separatists to the US.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a pre-recorded statement at the same Moscow conference, accused the US of adding fuel to the fire of global conflicts, including its support for Ukraine.
Despite declaring that it is a neutral party and a proponent of peace, China has employed similar terminology in its public pronouncements regarding the war.
During a speech in New York, Lai declared that Taiwan will never back down in the face of Chinese threats.
“No matter how great the threat of authoritarianism is to Taiwan, we absolutely will not be scared nor cower, we will uphold the values of democracy and freedom”, Lai stated.
China has increased its military intimidation of the island in recent years, notably following meetings between Taiwanese leaders and US lawmakers.
Some analysts believe China is observing the Western reaction to Russian actions in Ukraine in order to determine possible responses to any future moves against Taiwan.
Also read: Attempting To Cross Its Border, Russia Allegedly Killed 4 Ukrainian Troops
