‘No force can stop Taiwan’s reunification with China’

The Chinese defense chief says separatist attempts in self-ruled Taiwan are “doomed to failure,” warning once again that no force can stop mainland China’s “full reunification.”

Wei Fenghe was speaking Monday at the opening of the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing. The three-day event — which is themed “Maintaining International Order and Promoting Peace in the Asia-Pacific” — will be attended by representatives from over 70 countries.

“No one and no force can ever stop China’s full reunification. We are committed to promoting the peaceful development of cross-Taiwan strait relations and the peaceful reunification of the country,” he said.

Wei described the Taiwan issue as China’s “greatest national interest,” saying China is the only major world state “that is yet to be completely reunified.”

The defense minister said “resolving the Taiwan question so as to realize China’s full reunification is the irresistible trend of the times.”

“We will never allow separatists for Taiwan independence to have their way, nor allow interference by any external forces. Advancing China’s reunification is a just cause, while separatist activities are doomed to failure,” he emphasized.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan and almost all world countries, including the US, recognize that sovereignty under “One China” policy.

China has pursued reunification with the island ever since Taiwan broke away from the mainland during a civil war in 1949. Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to achieve that goal.

PressTV-China: Independence to bring profound disaster to Taiwan

In a stern warning, Chinese President Xi Jinping says independence will bring “profound disaster” to self-ruled Taiwan.

However, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who rose to power in May 2016, has rejected the “one country, two systems” formula that Beijing has suggested could be used to unify the island and the mainland.

Tsai, who is seeking re-election in January, has vowed to back Taiwan’s “sovereignty.”

The island has long been a flashpoint in China’s relations with the United States, which has no formal ties with Taiwan but sells the territory advanced military hardware in defiance of Beijing.

The US, under President Donald Trump, has been further enhancing relations with Taiwan.

Besides Taiwan, Washington has infuriated Beijing on numerous occasions by siding with China’s rivals in the long-running territorial dispute over the energy-rich South China Sea.

Highlighting the “many difficulties and challenges” in ties with the US, the Chinese defense minister told the forum that “the South China Sea islands and Diaoyu islands are inalienable parts of China’s territory. We will not allow even an inch of territory that our ancestors have left to us to be taken away.”

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