The Chinese ambassador to the US said the two countries could face a “military crisis” over the future of Taiwan, with an unusually clear reference to the prospect of war.
“The Taiwan issue is the biggest box between China and the United States,” Qin Gang told US National Public Radio (NPR) broadcaster on Friday. “If the Taiwanese authorities, confirmed by the United States, continue to strive for independence, it is likely that it will involve China and the United States, the two largest countries, in military conflicts.”
Conflicts in the island area of the world continue to escalate. Beijing views Taiwan as a rebel state of China. In November Chinese president Xi Jinping told Joe Biden that any support for Taiwan’s independence in the US would be “like playing with fire” and that “firefighters would burn”.
Handout / EPA Handout of the Taiwan Defense Department
China has been sending large air traffic control over Taiwan’s defensive zone since October
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Beijing has been increasing its pressure on the democratic island in recent years. In October Xi vowed to “reunite” with Taiwan in peaceful ways. But on Sunday the Chinese military flew 39 military planes into Taiwan’s ID area – the largest since October.
The US and other allies in the past few months have spoken of “Taiwan’s effective participation in the UN system”, a move that has angered China. The UK parliamentary foreign affairs committee reportedly plans to visit Taiwan next month.
Qin blamed the current situation on Taiwanese authorities. He accused her of “seeking [its] independent agenda by borrowing support and encouragement from the United States”. He added: “And the United States is playing a Taiwan card for China.”
Analysts say that although Qin’s warning to Washington is unusual, he also pointed out in an NPR interview that bilateral relations form a “very important relationship” with China.
“Such conflicts could jeopardize the permanent breakdown of bilateral relations,” said Ali Wyne, a senior US-China relations analyst at Eurasia Group in Washington. “While China often acknowledges that its ‘positive recovery’ was foretold in the reunification of Taiwan with the country, there are probably few other steps Beijing can take that could undermine its long-term prospects such as attacking Taipei.”