China Responds to Provocative US Military Support for Taiwan

by Stephen Lendman

Annual US National Defense Authorization Acts fund the nation's war machine at a time when its only enemies are invented — the indisputable reality throughout the post-WW II period.

In response to the newly adopted FY 2023 NDAA's inclusion of $10 billion over a five-year period for Taiwan — China's breakaway province to be reunited with the mainland — Beijing's Defense Ministry spokesman, Tan Kefei, denounced the hostile action as an affront to the nation's sovereignty and security.

Further hollowing out the one-China principle — what exists in name only — US military support for Taiwan heightens the risk of greater regional destabilization and possible confrontation between both nations. 

In response to provocative US military support for Taiwan, China's PLA conducted large-scale drills in waters around Taiwan, including live-fire exercises.

On Sunday, spokesperson for the PLA's Eastern Theater Command (ETC), Col. Shi Yi, said drills were being conducted from 6:00 AM Sunday to 6:00 AM Monday local time, adding:

They represent a firm response to escalated US provocations in collusion with the Taiwanese regime.

The "PLA Eastern Theater Command will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

And this from Chinese military analyst, Song Zhongping, saying:

PLA "military drills warn the (empire of lies) that if it insists on going its own way, there will be no peace in the Taiwan Strait." 

Last month, China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, said the following:

"President Xi stressed that the Taiwan question is 'the core of core interests of China,' the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the red line that the (empire of lies) must not and should not cross."

China's drills once again demonstrated the PLA's ability to blockade Taiwan on short notice as conditions dictate.

Seven warships, along with dozens of fighter jets and bombers participated around the island.

A statement by an unnamed naval officer aboard one of China's warships said the following:

"Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and our operation aims to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

"We will take any necessary countermeasure" to achieve this aim.

Dozens of Chinese aircraft reportedly entered the island's self-proclaimed "southwest air defense identification zone."

Their numbers included 12 J-11 fighter jets, six Su-30 fighter jets, a CH-4 armed reconnaissance drone, six J-10 fighter jets, 18 J-16 fighter jets, a Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft, a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, a KJ-500 and a WZ-7 reconnaissance drone, according to a PLA press release.

And this from Chinese military analyst, Fu Qianshao, saying:

Financing of weapons for Taiwan by the empire of lies represents a serious provocation, a hostile anti-China action.

Other PLA drills are ongoing in the West Pacific and jointly with Russia, the latter in the East China Sea from Dec. 21 - 27 called Joint Sea 2022.

According to China's Defense Ministry, joint Sino/Russia drills "reflect a high level of strategic mutual trust and will further promote the two navies' capabilities in jointly dealing with maritime security threats, and contribute to the safeguarding of peace and stability in the region and the world."

Their naval forces are "practic(ing)  joint air defense, artillery firing at sea targets, joint anti-submarine operations, joint blockade and joint rescue."

Commenting on China's drills around Taiwan in response to increased hegemon USA military support for its breakaway province, the NYT misreported as follows, claiming:

They "demonstrated Beijing's appetite for confrontation with the US over Taiwan (sic)."

As expected, the Times falsely blamed China for hegemon USA's provocation in similar fashion to how it falsely blames Russia for war crimes by Ukrainian Nazis.