Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Monday that China’s announced defense budget increase for 2023 meant that Beijing was “preparing to use force if necessary” to reclaim the island.
On Sunday, China announced a 7.2% increase in the defense budget for 2023, the biggest increase since 2019. Military spending will amount to 1,553.7 billion yuan (C$305 billion). ).
“It seems that the other party is preparing for the use of force if necessary in the future,” commented the Taiwanese minister to the deputies.
According to him, visits by high-level foreign officials to Taiwan or joint military exercises with the military of allied countries could serve as a catalyst for an invasion of the island by Beijing forces.
Taipei prepares
“I think they are waiting for a good reason to send troops, such as high-level visits from [responsables] other countries in Taiwan or too frequent activity between our military and those of other countries,” he said.
The minister stressed that Taiwan was preparing in advance for incursions into the waters around the island deeper than what has been the norm in recent years.
Chiu’s remarks were dismissed by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday. “Taiwan is a part of China and therefore Taiwan does not have a defense minister,” Mao Ning said.
“Both sides on either side of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese territory. China will take firm measures to safeguard sovereignty and its territorial integrity,” the spokesperson added.
On Sunday, the outgoing Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, reiterated before the deputies the opposition of Beijing to the independence of Taiwan.
For his part, the Taiwanese Prime Minister, Chen Chien-jen, asked China to “respect Taiwan”.
China-Taiwan relations should be guided by “the principles of rationality, equality and mutual respect so that they can develop positively in a healthy and sustainable way”, he said.
Taiwan lives under the constant threat of a Chinese invasion, Beijing considering the island as part of its territory, to be recovered one day, by force if necessary.
Last year, China-US relations reached their lowest point in August after Nancy Pelosi, then Speaker of the US House of Representatives, visited the island.
In retaliation, Beijing had retorted with gigantic military maneuvers around Taiwan.