China's Defence Minister Wei Fenghe speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 12, 2022. Photo: AFP

On Sunday, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe delivered a keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, elaborating "China's vision of regional order." He once again stated China's solemn position on the Taiwan question: China will definitely realize its reunification, that peaceful reunification is the greatest wish of the Chinese people and that if anyone dares to secede Taiwan from China, it will not hesitate to fight and will fight at all costs. 

This is the second time that the Chinese defense minister showed China's red line on the Taiwan question within three days, and it is also a strong warning to the US and its followers who manipulate the Taiwan question.

The Taiwan question is China's internal affairs, so it should not have been a topic of discussion in the multilateral forum of the Shangri-la Dialogue. However, as the US intensifies its manipulation of the Taiwan question to contain China, the US has begun to toss about the Taiwan question at the dialogue since 2017. 

During this year's meeting, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's speech, followed by the joint statements of the US-Japan-South Korea Defense Ministers' Meeting and the US-Japan-Australia Defense Ministers' Meeting made the Taiwan question a "focus." This is obviously the result of their collusion behind the scenes, which not only attempts to promote the internationalization of the Taiwan question, but also puts the responsibility for undermining peace across the Taiwan Straits on China.

In the eyes of those who have a certain understanding of the situation in the Taiwan Straits, this scene is extremely absurd and ridiculous: the US, the real destroyer of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, is trying to intervene in Taiwan Straits affairs more deeply under the guise of "maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits." The US and its allies have disguised themselves as the guardians of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits through rhetoric such as "one should not use force to change the status quo." The US has continued to expand arms sales to Taiwan, sent congress people and former dignitaries to visit Taiwan, and revised the State Department's website regarding the fact list of US-Taiwan Relations. The world is clear that by doing so, the US has emboldened Taiwan secessionist forces and intensified tensions across the Taiwan Straits.

In this sense, Wei's repeated emphasis that there will be no hesitation to fight is necessary. China has sent a clear signal to actions that escalate tensions across the Taiwan Straits and formed a realistic deterrence to the US' provocation and the risky attempt to seek "Taiwan independence," which is the real and powerful safeguard for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

The historical trend of the reunification of the motherland cannot be stopped, and the one-China principle is what underpins peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. In fact, if the US had not played the "Taiwan card" nor sought to hollow out the one-China principle, how would the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority even have the boldness to refuse to recognize the "1992 Consensus?" The US has constantly stated that it does not support "Taiwan independence," but why does Washington shelter it under its umbrella?

It is because of the rampant manipulation of the separatist forces advocating "Taiwan independence" and the continuous intervention by external forces that it is impossible for China to give up the "reunification by force" approach. Now it turns out that the US blatantly starts to talk about "peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," and tries to fight for the right to interpret it, so as to distort and steal the true meaning of peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

There are two phrases that American officials also like to talk about: One is a "rules-based international order" and the other is "opposing any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side," to attack the Chinese mainland. The US has no right to say those phrases, and those phrases themselves are untenable.

There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is a part of China. The government of the People's Republic of China is the only sole legal government representing the whole of China, which is the real and only status quo of the Taiwan question. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. How China resolves the Taiwan question is its internal affairs, and no outside interference is allowed. It is the only rule recognized by the vast majority of countries around the world. 

Washington not only overestimates its own capabilities to make up lies, but also underestimates China's determination to safeguard its territorial integrity when it wants to set up "rules" for China's internal affairs, and also intends to blame China for breaking the "status quo."

The cross-Straits affairs are domestic affairs of compatriots on both sides of the Straits. The one who most wants to maintain stability in the Taiwan Straits must be China and never the US. Over the years, the US has messed up the Middle East and Europe, and now it turns to the Asia-Pacific region. The US should put it in mind that "Chinese people are not to be trifled with. Once they are provoked to anger, things can get very tough." To "use Taiwan to contain China" is to play with fire, and those who play with fire will end up burning themselves. We urge the US to be cautious in its words and deeds on the Taiwan question, rather than act arbitrarily.