Washington's relentless exploitation of Taiwan squeezes every last drop from its utilization: China Daily editorial

The transit of two United States naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait, alongside Washington's signing of a so-called trade deal with China's Taiwan region, once again exposes a troubling pattern in US behavior: saying one thing on the one-China principle while doing another in practice. This dangerous duplicity not only undermines mutual trust painstakingly rebuilt over the past months, but also pushes cross-Strait peace and regional stability toward greater risk.

According to a statement released on Saturday, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command tracked and monitored the USS John Finn and USNS Mary Sears as they transited the Taiwan Strait from Friday to Saturday. Spokesman Xu Chenghua said, the theater command deployed naval and air assets to monitor and track the movements of the two vessels, ensuring an effective response and management. He also stressed that the command remains on high alert to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability.

The transit followed the US' largest arms sales to the island late last year. The US Navy's frequent transits through the Taiwan Strait are by no means "freedom of navigation" operations as Washington claims. They are deliberate provocations, often timed to coincide with sensitive developments, aimed at emboldening separatist forces on the island. Coupled with such military provocations, Washington's decision to sign a "trade agreement" with the Taiwan authorities exposes the US' exploitive approach to the island. It will aggravate cross-Strait tensions.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made China's position unequivocal: China firmly opposes the negotiation and signing of any agreement with sovereign connotations and an official nature between China's Taiwan region and countries that have diplomatic relations with China. The US must earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques. These are the political foundation for China-US relations. Undermining them inevitably damages the broader bilateral ties.

The nature of the so-called "trade deal" also deserves scrutiny. Framed by Washington as an "economic partnership", the "agreement" cuts tariffs on many of Taiwan's exports while directing massive new investment into the US technology sector, particularly semiconductors and artificial intelligence. In essence, the US administration is not only playing the "Taiwan card" for geopolitical leverage, but also plundering Taiwan's advantageous industries and technologies to serve its own strategic and industrial agenda.

This reality has not gone unnoticed. Even voices on the island have warned that relocating core industries overseas risks hollowing out the island's long-term competitiveness. Yet the secessionist-minded Democratic Progressive Party authorities, fully aware of Washington's intentions, continue to trade away Taiwan's development interests in exchange for political backing. Their attempt to "rely on the US to seek independence" should be opposed by Taiwan compatriots. History and reality have shown time and again that external forces will never genuinely safeguard Taiwan's interests; they only use the island as a pawn and discard it when convenient. During the process, they try to squeeze every last drop out of the island's economy and industry.

By deepening murky ties with the DPP authorities, under its strategic ambiguity over the Taiwan question, Washington is encouraging the illusion that external support can help the DPP authorities realize their separatist cause. Such miscalculations raise the risk of escalation and confrontation, for which the whole region will pay the price.

Beijing's position on the Taiwan question remains consistent and firm. China will resolutely respond to defend national sovereignty, territorial integrity and core interests. Any external force underestimating China's capability and resolve to do so and acting accordingly will fry in its own grease.

The US administration should take a hard look at the potential consequences of its actions. Over the past months, China and the US have worked to stabilize ties and manage differences through dialogue. That momentum cannot withstand repeated blows from actions that hollow out the US' stated commitments to its one-China policy. Upholding the one-China principle requires consistency between words and deeds. Saying one thing while doing another will only further erode trust and complicate relations.

The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. It is not an issue Washington can toy with. Any military provocation or economic arrangement with sovereign overtones between Washington and Taipei is bound to meet firm countermeasures.

Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait serve the interests of all parties, including those of the US. The US administration should stop sending emboldening signals to the separatist forces and act responsibly on the Taiwan question. Only by respecting China's core interests can Washington avoid turning the Taiwan question into dangerous confrontations.