Chinese Military Professor Meng Xiangqing: We Will Escalate Military Exercises In Taiwan Strait As Long As Taiwanese Secessionism, American Intervention Continues; We Prefer Peaceful Reunification, But Will Not Renounce Our Right To Use Military Force

Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the PLA's National Defense University, said in an interview that was posted to the CCTV Video News Agency YouTube channel on August 6, 2022, that whether Chinese military exercises in the Taiwan Strait become regular or not depends on whether Taiwan "secessionists" and American "interventionist" forces intensify Taiwanese "separatist" activities or not. He criticized the "salami-slicing tactics" and "two-faced" policies being employed by the United States regarding Taiwan, and he said that China will continue to safeguard its sovereignty and its territorial integrity as long as the Taiwan independence movement continues to exist. He also said that China will continue to improve its military's combat readiness, and he added that although China adheres to the principle of peaceful reunification, it will not renounce its right to use military force if necessary. For more about increase Chinese military activity in the Taiwan Straits, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 9724.

Meng Xiangqing: "I think whether our military exercises will become regular or not depends on what the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces and the U.S. will do next. We all know that for a period of time, the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces have kept intensifying their separatist activities in the region.

"The 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces represented by Tsai Ing-wen and people of her ilk, riding on the U.S. coattails, are steering Taiwan in the direction of 'independence' with 'salami-slicing' tactics.

"The U.S. has been two-faced for many years on the Taiwan question, seriously violating the one-China principle. So we can see that in the future, as long as the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces and external intervention forces do not stop what they are doing, our actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity will not stop.

"At the same time, efforts to improve the level of combat readiness of our military in actual combat will never stop. For a period of time, the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces have kept developing themselves, while external forces have kept escalating their interference.

"In particular, the United States, has seriously challenged China's bottom line and red line by playing the 'salami-slicing' tactics. Therefore, we will never allow the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces and external forces to turn a blind eye to China's bottom line and step on China's red line.

"We will never allow anyone or any force to split Taiwan from China. So in this sense, on the one hand, we adhere to 'peaceful reunification and one country, two systems' principles. As long as there is a glimmer of hope for peace, we will never give up our peace efforts. But on the other hand, we have also never committed and will never commit to renouncing the use of force, which is aimed at the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist and foreign interference forces."