Ma Xiaoguang Photo: cnsphoto

Refuting the recent remarks made by some politicians of Taiwan island and the US that hyped up the so-called "war across the Straits," a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council said on Wednesday that they are colluding to play up the threat from the Chinese mainland and creating excuses to continue their "anti-China" scheme.

Those who make such remarks have different motives and goals, said spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang at a press conference on Wednesday. 

Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is seeking excuses for continuing to engage with external forces for "separatism" provocations, or even "seeking separatism with armed forces," and is relying on external forces to coerce and deceive Taiwan residents and extend their political lives, said Ma. 

Ma's comments came after Chen Mingtong, the head of the security authority in the island, said on October 20 that the mainland may "force" talks with the threat of war in 2023, according to Taiwan media reports. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at an event on October 17 that the mainland would "pursue reunification on a much faster timeline" and may be willing to use coercive means, as reported by the Washington Post. 

Ma urged the US side to honor its political commitment of not supporting Taiwan separatists and to stop sending the wrong signals to them. 

The rhetoric of "war across the Straits" has been hyped in Taiwan and by some Western countries since the opening session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), during which a report stressed that the CPC will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort, but will never make a promise to renounce the use of force.

Ma said that there is no-one who is more willing or sincere to see peaceful reunification for Chinese people on both sides of the Straits. However, in the current tense and volatile situation, how it goes depends on what the DPP authority does. 

When asked whether the mainland will set up a "strategic fence" to reduce the risk across the Taiwan Straits, Ma said the "Taiwan independence" and secession forces are the biggest risk to peace and stability in the Straits. There is no alternative other than curbing "Taiwan independence" to eliminate these risks, Ma noted. 

Global Times