Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council in Beijing, warned yesterday that any attempt to contain China with the Taiwan question or count on military force to seek “Taiwan independence” is doomed to fail. Some politicians of the leading Democratic Progressive Party, who are hugely overestimating their strength, have been seeking “Taiwan independence” through relying on foreign support, Ma said, and declaring that these individuals are certain to face the consequences of their actions in due course.
Ma’s statements followed on the heels of what is reported to have been the largest PLA Air Force incursion into Taiwan’s self-declared air defense identification zone (ADIZ), so far, involving 25 military aircraft. “The signal given by the military drills is that we are determined to stop Taiwan independence, and stop Taiwan from working with the U.S.. We are doing it with action,” Ma said, according to South China Morning Post. “We do not promise to abandon the use of force, and retain the option of taking all necessary measures. We are aimed at the interference of external forces and the very small number of separatists and their separatist activities. We are definitely not aimed at compatriots in Taiwan.”