China Warns "Entire Taiwan Will Become a Battlefield"
Strategic Bomber 'H-6J' Forward-Deployed on Woody Island in the South China Sea
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The Chinese People's Liberation Army issued a public warning to the Taiwan authorities seeking independence.
The Chinese military, seemingly conscious of Alex Azar, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services' visit to Taiwan, warned that 'certain forces' are sending wrong signals to the Taiwan authorities and should not cross the line.
China's state-run Global Times reported on the 14th (local time) that the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese military conducted substantial military exercises near the Taiwan Strait.
Quoting military experts, the Global Times said that the Trump administration in the U.S. has linked with Taiwan separatists, reducing the possibility of peaceful reunification between China and Taiwan, and that the Chinese military's exercises will be a clear and unprecedented deterrent.
In particular, it is known that the navy, air force, and army all participated in this exercise, implying that the purpose of the exercise was a Taiwan landing operation.
An anonymous military expert from mainland China said, "Through this exercise, it was shown that Taiwan separatists can be attacked from any direction in the Taiwan Strait," adding, "The entire Taiwan will become a battlefield."
The Global Times commented on the Taiwan authorities' move to increase next year's defense budget by 10.2% compared to this year, saying, "Taiwan is merely a cash cow for the U.S. defense industry," and "Purchasing American weapons cannot shake the military power of the Chinese military."
In fact, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a regular press conference, downplayed the situation by saying, "This island (Taiwan) is a 'small region,' and no matter how much money the separatist authorities spend on defense against reunification with the mainland, they are just 'ants trying to shake a big tree.'"
The Global Times also added that during Alex Azar's visit to Taiwan, the U.S. Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier was lurking near Taiwan but did not affect the People's Liberation Army's military exercises.
Meanwhile, the Global Times reported that the Chinese navy's new strategic bomber, the 'H-6J,' has been deployed to Woody Island (Chinese name: Yongxingdao) in the South China Sea.
This island is a small island belonging to the Paracel Islands (Chinese name: Xisha Qundao) in the South China Sea. China occupied this island in 1956 and made it a manned island by building a runway to establish effective control.
The Global Times attributed significance to the deployment of the H-6J, stating that it enables deterrence against U.S. aircraft carriers.
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