Beijing, July 24 (PTI): China on Wednesday warned of a "war" if there was a move towards Taiwan's "independence" as it accused the US, which plans to go ahead with a potential USD 2.2 billion arms deal with the self-ruled territory, of adopting "unilateral policies" and undermining global strategic stability.
China views Taiwan as its inalienable part that has to be reunified with the mainland, even by force.
Releasing a white paper, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said China would make its greatest effort for peaceful reunification of Taiwan with mainland China.
"However, we must firmly point out that seeking Taiwan independence is a dead end. If there are people who dare to try to split Taiwan from the country, China's military will be ready to go to war to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity," he said.
The US State Department recently approved a USD 2.2 billion defence deal with Taiwan. The deal includes 108 Abrams tanks and 250 Stinger surface-to-air missiles.
Beijing had vehemently protested the move, saying that the US arms sale infringes on China's sovereignty and national security and also seriously violates the basic norms of the international law and the international relations, as well as the One-China principle.
The 'One-China' policy states that Taiwan and Tibet are part of China's mainland. China made the 'One-China' policy a prerequisite for countries to establish diplomatic ties with it.
Taipei had defended the deal, saying the US weapons will help strengthen Taiwan's self-defence in the face of a growing military threat from China.
Most of the countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent nation. Though the US had switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, it remains the self-ruled island's most powerful unofficial ally and the biggest arms supplier.
Terming Taiwan "separatists" as the biggest threat to the peaceful reunification of the country, the white paper said, "China must be and will be reunited. China will never allow the secession of any part of its territory by anyone...The PLA will resolutely defeat anyone attempting to separate Taiwan from China."
The document, which is the 10th white paper on national defence issued by the Chinese government since 1998, also accused the US of adopting "unilateral policies" and said the country "has provoked and intensified competition among major countries, significantly increased its defence expenditure, pushed for additional capacity in nuclear, outer space, cyber and missile defence, and undermined global strategic stability".
The white paper also lists aims for China's national defence which include to deter and resist aggression, safeguard national political security, crack down on proponents of separatist movements such as "Tibet independence" and the creation of "East Turkistan", safeguard China's maritime rights and interests and safeguard China's security interests in outer space, electromagnetic space and cyberspace.
The Chinese military on Wednesday warned the pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong that it could deploy its soldiers on the city government's request to maintain law and order in the wake of anti-Beijing demonstrations against a bill allowing extraditions to China.
Hong Kong has been witnessing a violent mass outrage with thousands taking to streets against the government's plan to allow extraditions to the Communist nation.
Currently, the PLA troops are deployed at a garrison in the former British colony.
While releasing the white paper on the Chinese military, China's defence spokesman Col Wu Qian on Wednesday told the media here that PLA troops stationed at garrison in Hong Kong can be deployed if the local government requested so.
We are closely following the developments in Hong Kong, especially the violent attack against the central government liaison office by radicals on July 21, Wu said.
The protestors on Sunday turned their ire on the China's ruling Communist Party office in Hong Kong and smeared the party symbol with black paint, provoking angry reactions from China saying that protesters have challenged the bottom line of the principle of one country, two systems .
China is in a quandary over the intensified protests opposing the bill even after Beijing-backed Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on July 9 that the bill has been suspended.
But the protesters, whose number at times swelled to over two million, have continued to stage demonstrations asking for the bill's complete withdrawal.
The protests are stated to be the largest ever since Hong Kong has been returned to China by Britain in 1997.
Some behaviour of the radical protesters is challenging the authority of the central government and the bottom line of one country, two systems. This is intolerable, Wu said.
To a question whether PLA troops could be involved in maintaining order in the city, Wu said, article 14 of the garrison law has clear stipulations. He, however, did not elaborate.
Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post while interpreting Wu's comments reported that the article states that the Hong Kong government, in accordance with the Basic Law the city's mini-constitution can ask the central government for assistance from the PLA's Hong Kong garrison in maintaining public order and for disaster relief.
Should any such request by the Hong Kong government be approved, the garrison would send troops to carry out the task and immediately return to their station, the report said.
The mention of the article 14 is seen as an indication that China is not ruling out the deployment of its military if the local police failed to control the protests.
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying alleged that the US and the UK were behind the Hong Kong protests.
