Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin Photo: mfa.gov.cn

It's fully legitimate and justified for Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s Eastern Theater Command to launch joint drills around the island of Taiwan, safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Thursday, in response to a US General's remarks calling the drill "concerning."

The PLA Eastern Theater Command started joint military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan from 7:45 am on Thursday, the theater command said in a press release early on the day.

The drills are being conducted in the Taiwan Straits, the north, south and east of Taiwan Island, as well as areas around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin, the theater command said, attaching a map depicting nine exercise zones surrounding the island of Taiwan.

US Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka on Thursday called the drill "concerning." "Just because we expect that behavior does not mean that we should not condemn it, and we need to condemn it publicly," the US Indo-Pacific Command deputy commander told an audience in Canberra.

In response, Wang said the drill is a strong deterrent to "Taiwan secessionist" forces as well as a serious warning for those foreign forces who interfere in China's internal affairs and incite provocations.

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, which is both a historical fact and the status quo that will never change in the future, and "Taiwan independence" is a dead end. 

The Chinese people's determination to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering, all "Taiwan secessionist" acts will be met with a head-on attack by more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, and all "Taiwan secessionist" forces will crash and burn in the face of China's realization of complete reunification of the historical momentum, Wang noted.

We urge the US to stop condoning support for the forces of "Taiwan secessionists" and stop interfering in China's internal affairs. Any act that jeopardizes China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity will certainly be met with a resolute and forceful response from the Chinese side, Wang said.

Global Times