China will ‘not renounce the use of force’
China yesterday vowed zero tolerance for "separatist activities" in Taiwan and reaffirmed that it would take the self-ruled island by force if necessary.
The warning from Beijing, which considers Taiwan its territory, came after days of unprecedented Chinese military drills around the island sparked by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office yesterday issued a white paper laying out how it intends to claim the island through a range of economic incentives and military pressure.
"We are ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification, but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form," said the paper. China will "not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures".
It added, however: "We will only be forced to take drastic measures to respond to the provocation of separatist elements or external forces should they ever cross our red lines."
China last issued a white paper on Taiwan in 2000.
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, the island's top policymaking body on China, rejected the paper and said the document "is full of... lies".
"Taiwan maintains that 'neither side belongs to the other', and firmly refuses 'one country, two systems' -- this is the current status of the Taiwan Strait and the reality," it said in a statement.
"One country, two systems" refers to the model under which Hong Kong and Macau were promised a degree of autonomy under Chinese rule. It has been proposed by Beijing as a solution for Taiwan.
Since the late 1990s, the island has transformed from an autocracy into a vibrant democracy, and a distinct Taiwanese identity has emerged.
Relations between the two sides have significantly worsened since Tsai became president in 2016.
Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party do not consider Taiwan as a part of China.
Their platform falls under China's broad definition of Taiwanese separatism, which includes those who advocate for the island to have an identity separate from the mainland.
The Chinese white paper promised Taiwan economic prosperity as well as "greater security and dignity" after "reunification".
But that offer comes in the shadow of the biggest military exercises China has ever conducted around the island, including training for a blockade.
The drills have raised fears that China's Communist leadership could be preparing for an invasion.
The exercises were initially expected to conclude on Sunday, but have continued this week.
China's People's Liberation Army yesterday morning released details of exercises it conducted a day earlier, saying the drills were focused on establishing air dominance.
The military later said it had "successfully completed various tasks" in the Taiwan Strait.
It said it would "continue to carry out military training and prepare for war", without specifying whether more drills had been conducted yesterday or if there would be further exercises.
But Taiwan's defence ministry said it detected 36 Chinese warplanes and 10 ships operating around the strait yesterday, conducting joint air-sea operations.
Seventeen planes crossed the median line -- an unofficial demarcation between China and Taiwan that Beijing does not recognise.
Taiwan has accused China of using the Pelosi visit as an excuse to rehearse for an invasion.
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