US Troops' Redeployment to Taiwan Triggers China's 'Military Unification Operation'

Chinese Media Warns US "Do Not Challenge China's Core Interests"
Punishment as a 'Just War for Taiwan Liberation'

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Chinese media are strongly opposing the U.S. media's claims about the redeployment of U.S. troops to Taiwan, calling it a trigger for a 'unification operation.'

The United States, upon establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1979, abolished the 'U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty' and withdrew U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan.

China's state-run Global Times reported on the 25th that if the U.S. redeploys troops to Taiwan, China will realize unification by force, referring to an article titled 'U.S. Troops Return to Taiwan' published in the September-October 2020 issue of the U.S. Army journal Military Review.

The article argued that it is necessary to consider a U.S. ground forces base in Taiwan to maintain the balance of power in East Asia.

It also stated that the presence of U.S. ground forces could neutralize the operations of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait. The mere presence of U.S. troops could exert pressure on China.

The Global Times emphasized that despite the U.S. already strengthening military cooperation with Taiwan, including dispatching military advisors, redeploying troops would be a return to the pre-1979 diplomatic status and would fundamentally break the diplomatic relationship between China and the U.S.

The J-15 fighter jet, the carrier-based aircraft of the Chinese aircraft carrier. [Image source=Chinese Ministry of National Defense website/www.mod.gov.cn]

Regarding this, Chinese military expert Song Zhongping said, "The United States should consider China's core interests," adding, "The U.S. should not challenge China's core interests." He further claimed, "Taiwan is merely a cash machine and pawnshop for the U.S. If the U.S. judges that Taiwan no longer serves its interests, it will abandon Taiwan."

The Global Times, citing military sources, reported that if the U.S. shows signs of redeploying troops to Taiwan, the Chinese military will carry out a prepared operation to blockade Taiwan and prevent further U.S. intervention.

Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, known as the unofficial 'mouthpiece' of the Chinese government, warned on his Weibo (the U.S. equivalent of Twitter), "Encouraging the U.S. military to redeploy to Taiwan is part of a psychological warfare campaign. If the U.S. and Taiwan proceed down that path, China's response will be a just war for the liberation of Taiwan."

Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Tan Kefei stated regarding military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, "The military exercises in the Taiwan Strait target external forces interfering and Taiwan's separatists and separatist activities," adding, "If Taiwan dares to separate from China, we will resolutely defeat them at any cost."

He also reported, "The operations of two Chinese aircraft carriers conducting exercises near the Taiwan Strait have concluded," and "Through the exercises, we confirmed the performance of our weapons and improved the troops' mission execution capabilities."

The Global Times and Huanqiu Shibao forecast that while the redeployment of U.S. troops to Taiwan may be among the cards the U.S. can use to pressure China, the resulting backlash would be so severe that the U.S. would likely refrain from playing that card.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.