United States urged to stop stoking Taiwan tensions

A Chinese mainland spokesman on Wednesday urged the United States to stop "adding fuel to the fire" in the Taiwan Strait, stressing that "Taiwan belongs to China, and we will never allow any force to turn the island into a 'hell'."

Chen Binhua, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to comments from US politicians about strengthening Taiwan's "defense" capabilities in anticipation of a potential conflict with the mainland.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said deterrence is crucial for Taiwan in a potential "invasion" by the mainland and highlighted the need to boost Taiwan's "self-defense" capabilities. Rubio made the comments during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week, as lawmakers reviewed the State Department's budget for the upcoming year, according to media reports.

US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo claimed the mainland could have the capacity to "invade" Taiwan by 2027 and proposed a "Hellscape" strategy aimed at thwarting such a scenario. The plan involves allied forces deploying submarines, surface ships and aerial drones to hinder any advances.

Koo Li-hsiung, Taiwan's "defense "chief, said in an interview last week that Taiwan's armed forces must reach a high level of combat readiness by 2027 to effectively deter a possible "invasion". He also stressed the need to enhance security exchanges with countries along the "first island chain".

Chen denounced what he described as US politicians' exaggeration of a mainland "threat".

"They promote a warlike atmosphere in the Taiwan Strait, merely making excuses to interfere in the Taiwan question and benefit the US military-industrial complex," the spokesman said. "The US consistently prioritizes its own interests, and its actions are actually harming and undermining Taiwan, turning Taiwan compatriots into 'cannon fodder'."

Chen condemned the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, accusing it of working with the US for political gain and turning the island into a "powder keg". He warned that attempts to seek "independence" with outside support would lead to self-destruction.

An increasing number of foreign experts and scholars have raised concerns about what they describe as separatist provocations by the DPP and Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te, which Chen said threaten peace and stability in the region.

His comments came after a recent article in the US journal Foreign Affairs likened Washington's position on Taiwan to walking a "tightrope". The article urged the US to clarify that it does not support "Taiwan independence" and to publicly criticize separatist actions by Taiwan's leadership.

"We appreciate these rational voices," Chen said, calling on more people to recognize that the fundamental cause of tensions in the Taiwan Strait lies in the DPP's collusion with external forces to provoke separatism.

He urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, and to refrain from sending "erroneous signals" to separatist forces.