Chinese military exercise at the end of March: Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province. © Ma Yubin/Imago
China's sabre-rattling towards Taiwan continues: the Ministry of Defense in Beijing threatens Taiwan with "war preparations". The background to this is the planned arms deliveries by the USA.
Munich/Beijing – The conflict between China and Taiwan has long been a war of words. For years, the People's Republic, which regards the democratically governed island state as a renegade province, has been arming itself not only militarily, but also verbally. The most recent example: On Tuesday, General Tan Kefei, the spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, declared that his country's army was "increasing the training of soldiers and preparation for war." The statement was made at a press conference in Beijing in response to a journalist's question about China's view of US arms deliveries to the government in Taipei.
According to US media reports, President Joe Biden's administration plans to supply $500 million worth of weapons to Taiwan. In total, a budget of one billion US dollars is available for this purpose for the current year, Reuters reported in early May. The deliveries are in line with the long-standing China and Taiwan policy of the United States, said a spokesman for the Pentagon, who did not want to confirm the details of the Reuters report.
The U.S. has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but only officially recognizes the government in Beijing. However, in the so-called "Taiwan Relations Act" of 1979, Washington committed itself to equipping Taiwan with weapons for defense.
China warns Taiwan against declaring independence
General Tan has now accused the US of having "upgraded" military relations" between Washington and Taipei. "This will shake the foundation of China-U.S. relations and undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Tan said. The Defense Ministry spokesman warned President Tsai Ing-wen's ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taipei that Taiwan should not declare independence from China. China's People's Liberation Army will "resolutely crush all forms of secession and 'Taiwan independence' and foreign interference and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."
When and if China will really attack Taiwan militarily is completely open. In a recent interview with the Münchner Merkur, Asia expert May-Britt Stumbaum from the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies (CISS) at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich warned against underestimating Beijing's determination. "For Taiwan, it's two minutes to twelve," Stumberg said.
In recent months, China has steadily increased pressure on Taiwan. After the visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, then chairman of the US House of Representatives, Beijing held massive military exercises around Taiwan in August. Most recently, China also rehearsed the closure of the island after Pelosi's successor Kevin McCarthy met with President Tsai in California.
China and the Ukraine war: General praises cooperation with Russia
In addition to China's threats against Taiwan, the country's stance in the Ukraine war is currently under criticism. At Tuesday's press conference, spokesman Tan once again emphasized his country's close ties with Russia and the importance of cooperation between the armed forces of the two states. This cooperation "contributes to the preservation of international justice and fairness as well as security and stability in the world and the region," Tan said.
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Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, China has claimed to be neutral in the conflict. In fact, however, Beijing has openly sided with the Kremlin – head of state Xi Jinping has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin several times since February 2022, most recently in Moscow in March. China does not condemn the Russian war of aggression, nor does it call for a withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Since Tuesday, the Chinese special envoy for Eurasia, Li Hui, has been on a "peacekeeping mission" in Ukraine. In the coming days, Li also plans to visit Poland, France, Germany and Russia. Details of the talks Li held in Kiev have not yet been disclosed. Experts doubt that the trip of the special envoy, who was China's ambassador to Moscow for ten years, will bring a change of course in China's Ukraine policy. (sh)