World War 3: China threatens Taiwan INVASION to ‘unify state’ with FORCE if US Navy arrive
A SENIOR Chinese diplomat has threatened to invade Taiwan if the state tries to gain independence or if a US warship visits the island, it has been revealed.
By MATT DRAKE
Express.co.uk
Mon, Dec 11, 2017
China considers Taiwan to be a wayward province and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control.
Diplomat Li Kexin said at a Chinese embassy event in Washington on Friday that China would activate its Anti-Secession Law if the US sent navy ships to Taiwan.
According to Chinese media, Li said: “The day that a US Navy vessel arrives in Kaohsiung is the day that our People’s Liberation Army unifies Taiwan with military force.”
The Anti-Secession law allows it to use force on Taiwan if deemed necessary to prevent the island from gaining independence.
The threat to invade Taiwan has sparked a war of words with Taipei accusing Beijing of failing to understand what democracy means.
Although the United States has no formal ties with Taiwan it is bound by law to help it defend itself and is its main source of arms.
In September, the US Congress passed the National Defence Authorisation Act for the 2018 fiscal year, which authorises mutual visits by navy vessels between Taiwan and the United States.
Beijing regularly calls Taiwan the most sensitive and important issue between it and the United States.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said late on Saturday that, while Chinese officials seemed to want to try and win over hearts and minds in Taiwan, they also had been repeatedly using threats that hurt the feelings of Taiwan’s people.
The ministry said: “These methods show a lack of knowledge about the real meaning of the democratic system and how a democratic society works.”
China suspects Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who leads the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, wants to declare the island’s formal independence.
Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan’s security.
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