Lai authorities, US seek ‘more provocative’ move; China vows strong countermeasures

Secessionist authorities of Taiwan region and external forces are acting more provocatively during the power transition time in the US, with the Chinese mainland voicing strong opposition and vowing strong and resolute countermeasures, as Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te made a "stopover" in Hawaii during his trip to the Pacific, and the US announced another round of arm sales to the island.

China firmly opposes official interactions between the US and Taiwan region, firmly opposes the leader of the Taiwan region making a "stopover" in the US in any name or under whatever pretext, a long-standing and clear position, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on Sunday.

Chen made the remarks in response to a media question on Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's "stopover" in Hawaii amid his trip to so-called "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific. Chen noted that the Chinese Foreign Ministry has lodged serious protests with the US.

"We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, fully see the separatist nature and damage of Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, and handle the Taiwan question with prudence," Chen said.

On the US arm sales, China will take strong and resolute countermeasures to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Firm opposition

The US Department of Defense on Friday announced that the Department of State has approved US$385 million worth of arms sales to Taiwan region. The arms sales include spare parts and support for F-16 aircraft and active electronically scanned array radars and related equipment, as well as improved mobile subscriber equipment follow-on support and related equipment, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The decision to sell arms to Taiwan is simply inconsistent with US leaders' commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence." China deplores and firmly opposes it and has lodged serious protests to the US, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson called on the US to immediately stop arming Taiwan and stop abetting and supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in seeking "Taiwan independence" by building up its military.

Chen of the Taiwan Affairs Office also said on Sunday that China firmly opposes US arms sales to China's Taiwan region, calling on the US side to take concrete actions to fulfill its political promise of not supporting "Taiwan independence," to cease arming Taiwan and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

Chen warned the Lai Ching-te authorities that buying weapons will not bring security, and "protection fees" cannot save "Taiwan independence." Relying on the US to pursue "independence" is destined to fail, and attempting to achieve "independence" through military means will only lead Taiwan to danger and ultimately to its own demise.

The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, Chen said. "No one and no force should underestimate the firm will and strong capability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese mainland military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday that Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) warplanes have overwhelming advantages over the F-16, as displayed at Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province in mid-November.

The PLA Air Force displayed fighter jets including the medium-sized J-10C, the heavy J-16, the stealth J-20 and the stealth J-35A at the airshow, while the PLA Navy displayed the likes of the carrier-borne J-15T and the electronic warfare J-15D.

"Not to mention that the PLA's fifth-generation stealth fighter jets like the J-20 and the J-35A have a generational advantage over the fourth-generation F-16," Fu said.

Act more provocatively

Moreover, Wu Chih-chung, also known as Francois Wu, deputy head of the "Taiwan external affairs authority," voiced willingness to see the expansion of the US-led AUKUS group in the region, calling the group "in some way, another form of NATO," and welcomed warship transits in the Taiwan Straits, according to the Australian media Canberra Times on Sunday. However, there are seemingly few discussions regarding Wu's remarks among local Taiwan media outlets.

Yu Qiang, a professor of Taiwan studies at the Beijing Technology and Business University, told the Global Times on Sunday that the official of the DPP authorities is actually trying to build a connection between the Taiwan question and the AUKUS as the regional leader Lai will have a trip to the Pacific region, but the DPP authorities might have no idea that the AUKUS is very unwelcomed among Pacific Islands countries, as they have bad memories of colonialism and the nuclear tests that the US conducted in the region.

This will just make the Taiwan DPP authorities look more awkward in this region, Yu noted.

Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday that "the recent acts and remarks of Taiwan DPP authorities show that the separatists on the island are acting more provocatively, as they are attempting to intensify tension and make the situation more dangerous and complicated before the US power transition concludes in January. "Maybe they are trying to show the incoming administration that Taiwan separatists are useful for the US in the great power competition with China," said the expert.

Li said "First of all, Taiwan is a part of China, it's not any other country's business, and the reunification process of China is unstoppable. The DPP authorities have noticed that the new US administration may be more reluctant to take risk for crises outside America, so they see the danger of seeking separatism without US protection, and they are trying to demonstrate their value to the US at this moment, in order to avoid being abandoned like useless garbage.