At the December 17 press conference of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, a reporter asked: Lai Ching-te recently proposed a USD 40 billion special budget to purchase military equipment from the United States. The New York Times recently revealed details from a classified U.S. Department of Defense report indicating that mainland China already possesses sufficient missile capabilities to destroy U.S. advanced weaponry before it could reach Taiwan—suggesting that the United States is no longer capable of “defending Taiwan.” What is your comment?
Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian of the Taiwan Affairs Office responded that the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair, and resolving it is a matter for the Chinese people alone, allowing no external interference. The Lai Ching-te administration, for the selfish interests of its party, continues to provoke “Taiwan independence,” repeatedly increases the defense budget, and pushes a “whole-of-society militarization,” tying the people of Taiwan to the separatist bandwagon. Its attempts to “rely on foreign forces to seek independence” and “use force to seek independence” threaten the safety and interests of the Taiwan people. “Taiwan independence” is a dead end; outsiders cannot be relied upon; reunification cannot be stopped. We have firm will, strong determination, and powerful capability to crush all separatist schemes for “Taiwan independence,” to resolutely oppose external interference, and to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.