Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

The DPP authorities have been like frightened birds in recent two days. The roar of the PLA fighter planes put them in a state of high tension. Although they're pretending to be calm and trying to embolden themselves, it is still hard to hide the inner panic and fear. This is exactly what we hope to see. Since the DPP authorities and the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces don't give up or restrain their manipulation of "relying on the US to seek independence," the Chinese mainland has many ways to make them restless, and will eventually get them to face their final doom.

On December 25, the PLA Eastern Theater Command has held cross-service joint alert patrol and fire strike drills around the Taiwan island. According to statistics from the Taiwan military, in the 24 hours from 6:00 am on December 25 to 6:00 am on December 26, a total of 71 PLA military aircraft and seven PLA warships were operating around the Taiwan Straits, of which 47 aircraft flew over the "middle line" of the Taiwan Straits and entered the "airspace" to the southwest of the Taiwan island. Media on the Taiwan island said that this recorded the largest scale of PLA military aircraft flying around Taiwan this year, and the second largest number of aircraft entering the island's southwestern "airspace," and flying through the "middle line" of the Straits.

Facts have proved that the PLA applying military pressure has the most direct and strongest psychological impact and deterrence on the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. But we also want to warn the DPP authorities that the relevant actions of the PLA are not just to deter "Taiwan independence" forces, nor are they just to show will and determination of reunification. There is also a crucial point: the PLA is exercising and strengthening capacity and practical preparation to take decisive measures in times of emergency. "The command troops will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity." The PLA will continuously let "Taiwan independence" and external forces realize the weight of this sentence.

Spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese PLA made it clear that this exercise is a "resolute response to the US and Taiwan's current escalation of their collusion and provocation." US President Joe Biden just signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 on December 23. One of the contents is that in the next five years, it will provide Taiwan with a total of $10 billion in "military assistance" with a maximum of 2 billion US dollars per year. The NDAA also calls for expedited processing of Taiwan's military purchase request, and proposes to invite Taiwan to participate in the Rim of the Pacific 2024. These vicious clauses seriously violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, and caused serious damage to the peace and stability of the Taiwan Straits.

Chinese side has lodged a solemn representation with the US side. At the same time, two days after the NDAA was signed, the PLA held a large-scale military exercise in the Taiwan Straits, using powerful military actions to demonstrate its firm attitude. The US is still pursuing the so-called "porcupine strategy," trying to turn Taiwan into a military porcupine that the mainland cannot bite through military aid and arms sales to Taiwan. It sounds like a strategy, but in fact, the US and Taiwan island can't achieve it at all. The trend of the military strength comparison between the two sides of the straits cannot be changed because of $10 billion in military assistance and the sale of some outdated weapons by the US. Second, the mainland will not sit idly during this period. Every time the US increases its support for the DPP's resistance toward reunification, we will double the pressure on it to promote reunification and oppose "independence" to ensure that the US-Taiwan collusion will not obstruct the reunification process, but instead accelerate its realization.

The mood of the DPP authorities is like taking a roller coaster. They were grateful to the US just a few days ago, imagining that they have acquired more capital to "confront the mainland and seek independence," but the PLA drill immediately brought them back to reality. They are feeling extremely insecure internally, and in the future they will feel even more nervous. The drill is highly targeted. It means the PLA army, navy and air forces in relevant theater command are always ready for responding to emergencies. The cross-service joint alert patrol and joint fire strike drill also have a high degree of actual combat. The DPP politicians need to carefully think about it. 

The last thing that the Chinese people want is a war breaking out in the Taiwan Straits. The outsiders cannot possibly care more about the peace and stability of the Straits than we do. The problem now is that there are "Taiwan independence" separatist forces on the island who are unwilling to give up, and outside the island, the US is constantly taking action to "exploit Taiwan island to contain China." The Chinese mainland must make full preparations in military. There is always a sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of DPP and "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.