China ready to fight enemies amid US attempts to undermine security: Defense minister

China’s defense minister says the country is fully prepared to fight its enemies amid attempts by the United States to undermine its sovereignty and security in the region, citing a recent visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Chinese Taipei.

Defense Minister Wei Fenghe issued the warning via video link at an international security forum in the Russian capital on Tuesday, describing Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island last month as a “gross violation of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“There is absolutely no good end to ‘Taiwan independence’ and interference by external forces will never succeed,” Wei said.

Tensions have been on the rise in the region since Pelosi visited Taipei despite stern warnings from Beijing that the trip would have a “severe impact” on bilateral ties with the United States and would “gravely undermine” regional peace and stability.

Pelosi said the visit was intended to make it “unequivocally clear” that the US would “not abandon” the island.

Wei noted that the trip had “caused adverse effects on peace and stability in the region and in the Taiwan Strait.”

Pelosi says US cannot allow China to isolate Taiwan, rants against Chinese leader

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has defended her controversial trip to Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), and accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of acting "like a scared bully.”

He went on to say that Beijing “cannot be tamed. We are not afraid of the forces of evil, as well as any enemies. We are determined and ready to fight with any enemy.”

The defense minister reiterated that Taipei was an integral part of China and Beijing considered all related issues as internal political matters in which no other country had the right to interfere.

Under the “one China” policy, nearly all countries across the globe, the US included, recognize Beijing’s sovereignty over Chinese Taipei.

Washington, however, engages in direct contact with the secessionist government in Taipei in violation of its own stated policy. The US also supplies Taipei with massive amounts of armaments.

Wei recalled that more than 170 counties in the world had recently issued statements “to support Beijing’s wish to protect its sovereignty.”

“Separatists advocating so-called Taiwan independence will certainly break their necks. Attempts at outside interference are doomed to fail,” he said.

Chinese Taipei accuses China of planning an invasion

Chinese Taipei has accused China of planning an invasion against the island as it announced a new round of military drills in the waters around it in response to a controversial visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week.

The defense minister also mentioned Beijing’s large-scale military exercises, which came in response to Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taipei, describing them as “legitimate and correct actions aimed at protecting the sovereignty of our country.”

China started military exercises after Pelosi’s visit and announced more drills last week after the scheduled end of the ones launched. Taipei began its own live-fire military drills on Tuesday, accusing China of “gross violations of international law.”

On Tuesday, the defense ministry of the island said that it had detected 17 Chinese aircraft and five Chinese ships in and around the island and the Taiwan Strait.

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