Defense Ministry criticizes DPP for inciting war anxiety

A Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman on Friday criticized Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities for using the mainland's regular combat readiness patrols around Taiwan Island as a pretext to incite war anxiety.

Jiang Bin, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, was speaking in response to the reports submitted by the island's "defense" department to the "legislative yuan" on Monday. The reports focused on the mainland's military capacity and Taiwan's military build-up.

Jiang said the reports distorted the truth and served merely as a pretext for the DPP authorities to hawk war anxiety and pursue "Taiwan independence" through military build-up.

The reports highlighted regular naval and aerial combat readiness patrols and "incursions" by the People's Liberation Army near Taiwan Island, underscoring the need to enhance the island's "asymmetric" warfare capabilities and "defense resilience".

"Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory," Jiang said.

He stated that it is the inherent duty and mission of the PLA to conduct regular combat readiness patrols around Taiwan Island and take action against separatism and external intervention to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"China's reunification is unstoppable, and any attempt to seek 'independence' by force is bound to fail," Jiang added.