China must prepare for a ‘real battle’, President Xi Jinping warns after his country holds three days of war games on Taiwan’s doorstep – while Beijing vows to ‘resolutely defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime interests’
- Mr Xi’s remarks will be seen as further preparation for an invasion of Taiwan
- He said that the PLA must conduct “military struggles firmly and flexibly.”
President Xi Jinping says China should be prepared for “real combat” after holding war games in the seas around Taiwan.
His remarks will be seen as further preparation for an invasion of the self-governing island – over which China claims sovereignty.
Xi said his country’s People’s Liberation Army, which is now the second largest military force in the world, should “conduct the military struggle vigorously and flexibly”.
“You need to strengthen real combat military training,” he said, according to the state news agency Xinhua, adding that the military should “resolutely defend China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime interests and strive to protect overall peripheral stability.”
Chinese warships and planes have just concluded three days of “war games” simulating a blockade and bombardment of Taiwan. It came after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen traveled to LA to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
President Xi Jinping said his country’s People’s Liberation Army, which is now the second largest military force in the world, “should conduct the military struggle firmly and flexibly”.
Beijing opposes any official contact between Taiwanese officials and foreign governments.
Zhu Fenglian, from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said: “Tsai Ing-wen brought danger to Taiwan. [She] almost completely sided [with] the US, throwing Taiwan into stormy seas.”
There are fears in the West, particularly among NATO member states, that Jinping feels empowered by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine to launch a similar offensive against Taiwan.
China’s claim that it is the same country as Taiwan is consistent with Mr Putin’s stated belief that Ukraine is part of Russia.
And like the Russian military in the months before last year’s invasion, the Chinese armed forces have made their intentions increasingly clear.
The Jinping government has protested that the US has increased its support for Taiwan and is contesting Beijing’s naval claims in the South China Sea, where the US and the Philippines are holding their largest-ever joint military exercises this week.
A Chinese warship fires during a military exercise off the Chinese coast near Fuzhou, Fujian province, opposite the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands on April 11 during training exercises
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was determined to “stand by the Philippines against any form of intimidation or coercion, including in the South China Sea.”
However, French President Emmanuel Macron this week highlighted a potential rift in the NATO alliance, saying Europe must not become a “vassal” and avoid being drawn into a conflict between the US and China over Taiwan.
The island split from China in the mid-20th century after the communists took control of the mainland and the government of the former Republic of China consolidated its remaining power in Taiwan.
Over time, this authoritarian government evolved into a functioning democracy and also reaped the benefits of a free market boom in the 1960s.
Political and economic liberalism now stands in stark contrast to the mainland regime and any attempted invasion by China would likely prompt nearby Japan, the Philippines and US-led NATO to defend Taiwan.