US Taiwan arms sales Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in China's Taiwan region seem to be making a fresh push to expand military collusion with the US under the guise of "trade and economic partnership," but it is an extremely dangerous attempt. The closer the island's military collusion with the US, the sooner the downfall of the secessionist forces looms.

Lin Chia-lung, head of the external affairs authority of Taiwan, said on Wednesday that the "friend-shoring" of US supply chains will include the Taiwan island, meaning that Taiwan has the opportunity to join the US defense supply chain, but details remain under discussion.

For those who don't understand what it means to be included in the US defense supply chain, Lin's remarks may sound like the Taiwan authorities want to strengthen economic and trade cooperation. But it is actually a dangerous attempt to expand military collusion between the US and the Taiwan island, and the Chinese mainland will not allow DPP authorities to play with fire.

The potential outsourcing of parts of the US defense supply chain to the Taiwan region may not be as conspicuous as the US arms sales to the island, but it carries the potential to pose even greater risks of conflict to the regional peace and stability, necessitating heightened vigilance.

Despite the US attempt to boost arms sales to the Taiwan island and to escalate regional tensions, the reduced US weapon inventory due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caused delays in fulfilling arms orders for the island, as the production capacity of US arms companies lags behind demand.

Under such circumstances, if the Taiwan authorities joined the US defense supply chain system, it is possible that US military companies could transfer part of their production lines to the Taiwan island or even establish arms factories there. 

To be frank, it is impossible for the island to count on additional protection from Washington because of military supply chain partnership with the US. Instead, it may only further destabilize and complicate the cross-Straits status quo. It would be naïve for anyone who has the knowledge of the cross-Straits situation to believe ammunition will earn Taiwan island any protection. If the DPP authorities have any sense about the risks of being a pawn in US strategy targeting the mainland, it should at least not push its ties with US in the direction of military cooperation any further. 

DPP authorities have become increasingly eager to consolidate military support from Washington, but this will only lead cross-Straits situation to a rapid slide toward a dangerous tipping point, because the Chinese mainland will not allow the island to have the chance to further escalate tensions with military means and hinder the reunification.

"Taiwan independence" leads nowhere and anyone who connives at and supports "Taiwan independence" is doomed to destruction. No external interference can hold back the trend toward China's reunification. Any attempt to challenge the one-China principle and endanger China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity will be met with China's resolute response, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson recently said.

The US military umbrella will not be able to protect secessionist forces on the island. If the secessionist forces on the island of Taiwan continue to align themselves with the US and plot for "Taiwan independence," their scheme is destined to fail. The DPP authorities who are determined to lead Taiwan island down a path of no return should be condemned.