China is ready to “decisively destroy any form of independence from Taiwan,” the military said on Tuesday. For its part, the United States is preparing for a faster sale of defensive weapons and other military aid to the self-governing island, Bloomberg writes.
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A recent increase in exchanges between the US and Taiwanese militaries is an “extremely wrong and dangerous move,” said China’s Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Tan Kefei. China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “continues to strengthen military training and preparations and will resolutely destroy any form of Taiwanese independence, as well as any attempts at outside interference.”
In addition, attempts to “seek independence through reliance on the United States” and “seek independence through military might” are a “dead end,” Tan said.
American weapons on the way
US President Joe Biden is now preparing to approve the sale of $500 million (460 euros) worth of weapons to Taiwan. The country is also sending another hundred soldiers to the island to evaluate training and make suggestions to better defend the island.
Furthermore, both the Democratic and Republican parties in the US have called on the Biden administration to continue selling nearly $19 billion worth of military equipment. That sale has already been approved, but the delivery is still pending.
China opts for intimidation
China, which claims the island as its own territory, is prepared to retake it under its control by force if necessary. It has recently stepped up its threats with daily air and sea raids around Taiwan. In addition, Beijing has held military exercises in and around the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from China. These are partly seen as a rehearsal for an invasion of the island.
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Such actions also seem designed to intimidate the Taiwanese military and politicians and voters, although so far they do not seem to have the desired effect. Most Taiwanese remain firmly in favor of maintaining Taiwan’s de facto independent status.
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China flexes its muscles again: “Both sides of the Taiwan Strait are ours”
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