BEIJING, Dec. 29 -- The military actions by the PLA are targeted at “Taiwan independence” separatist forces and external interferences, aiming to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, at a regular press conference on Thursday.
Senior Colonel Tan made the remarks when commenting on a recent statement by the head of Taiwan’s foreign affairs department, who said that the “military threats” from the mainland had become “unprecedentedly serious” as the number of military aircraft “trespassing” into Taiwan’s “air defense identification zone” has increased by five times since 2020, and that he thought the mainland would find more excuses to rehearse attacks on Taiwan.
To these words, Tan pointed out that such military actions by the PLA would be taken wherever there are people who forget their heritage, betray their motherland, and seek to split the country.
“Instead of counting how frequently or how many times the PLA aircraft has been dispatched, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities had better face up to history and reality, recognize the overwhelming trend of national reunification and what the people wish for, and reflect on its wrong words and deeds of seeking “Taiwan independence” by soliciting foreign support or resorting to the use of force, by stirring up cross-Strait confrontation and jeopardizing the cross-Strait relations,” said the spokesperson.
He also stressed that it is the sacred duty of the PLA to safeguard national sovereignty and curb “Taiwan independence” separatists. Always bearing in mind its mission, the PLA has never slacked in combat-readiness training and exercise, standing ready to smash any form of “Taiwan independence” separatist schemes and interference attempts by external forces, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.