John Adoyi
China has condemned the United States ongoing military support to Taiwan, saying such actions are akin to “playing with fire” and could ultimately “get the United States burned.”
The warning comes a day after the US announced a $571.3 million military assistance package to Taiwan, marking the third of such aid commitment this year, alongside the approval of $295 million in arms sales.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelChinese state media, Xinhua, reported on Sunday that a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed strong disapproval, saying the move violated the One-China Principle and China’s sovereignty, security, and territorial interests.
The spokesperson emphasised that the United States’ actions were a breach of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982, which established the US commitment not to support Taiwan’s independence. It added that the move by the United States sends a gravely wrong signal to “separatist forces” in Taiwan.
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The Chinese government said it has lodged a formal protest with the United States over the arms sales and called for an immediate halt to the U.S.’s military aid to the island.
The warning from Beijing comes amid growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait, where China views any support to Taiwan as interference in what it considers its internal affairs. Taiwan, which has maintained de facto independence since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, has been a longstanding point of contention between the US and China.
Beijing has repeatedly vowed to reunify the island with the mainland, even if it requires the use of force.
“Using the Taiwan question to contain China is doomed to fail,” the spokesperson said, warning that the US’s policies would only lead to greater tensions in the Taiwan Strait. “We will take all necessary measures to firmly defend our national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.”
Tensions between Taiwan and China have escalated significantly in recent years, with military drills around Taiwan becoming increasingly frequent. In May and October 2024, China carried out large-scale military exercises in the waters and airspace surrounding Taiwan. The October drills were particularly significant, involving a record 125 aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, as well as China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier and other naval forces. Beijing described these exercises as a “punishment” for Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, who had publicly vowed to resist any efforts by Beijing to annex Taiwan.
China’s military activities are seen as a clear signal of its growing resolve to prevent any formal declaration of independence by Taiwan and it has promised to continue until the reunification is achieved.
