China reiterates it is ‘ready to go to war’ if Taiwan tries to gain independence
7411 Min Read
China says it is “ready to go to war” over the issue of Taiwan’s independence, according to a defence ministry report that provides a rare insight into the country’s military strategic priorities.
The US, which provides arms to Taiwan, was accused of “undermining global strategic stability” and named at the top of a list of “prominent destabilising factors” in the white paper, the first of its kind to be released by the Chinese government since President Xi Jinping came to power.
Alongside a resolve to contain the issue of “Taiwan independence”, China also listed the threats of what it calls separatist forces in Tibet and the far west region of Xinjiang.
Presenting the document, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said it was still China’s goal to achieve a peaceful reunification with Taiwan, a territory that split from the Communist Party-ruled mainland in 1949 and is in all practical senses run as an independent democratic nation.
China’s defence ministry has released 10 policy white papers since 1998, but Wednesday’s was the first since the 18th National Party Congress in 2012, officials said.
Since then there have been “profound changes” to the international security environment, the document notes.
China would itself implement “moderate and steady” growth in defence spending, the document revealed, but claimed this was low compared to other major economies.
