Prominent Chinese Journalist Hu Xijin: China's PLA Can Overwhelm Taiwan, Would Not Be Deterred By American Or Japanese Forces

Chinese journalist Hu Xijin, formerly the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Global Times media outlet, said in a video posted to the Global Times YouTube channel on February 5, 2024 that the recent joint U.S-Japanese military exercises in which China was clearly simulated as the enemy were "rude and disrespectful" because they were unambiguous about the hostility towards China. He said that the goal of the exercises is to pressure and deter China from invading Taiwan, but that China in fact prefers peaceful reunification. He said, however, that in the event that China opts for a military invasion, foreign deterrence will not work, and its forces will easily overwhelm Taiwan. He said that it would be better for the U.S. and Japan to restrain themselves instead of getting involved.

Hu Xijin: "The ongoing joint command post exercise between the US military and the Japanese Self Defense Forces clearly names the Chinese mainland as a hypothetic enemy for the first time. They also use the real map in the exercise to stimulate the scenario of PLA attacks on Taiwan that Japan often hypes. I have to say this is very rude and disrespectful behavior.

"In the past, the maps used in US-Japan military exercises were different from real topography. Although they also targeted China, they didn't make it clear after all. Such ambiguity is international practice. What the US and Japan are doing now is a very bad start and will escalate the situation in the region.

"Their purpose is to put pressure on China and hype the possibility of US and Japanese military intervention in the Taiwan Strait, thereby increasing their deterrence. But doing so won't have the results they want. China has its own roadmap to solve the Taiwan question. We strive for peaceful reunification. If we have to use forces, the deterrence of the US and Japan will not work at all.

"To be honest, we despise their threats. The PLA is fully prepared to eliminate all invading enemies, and our strength is becoming increasingly overwhelming in the Taiwan Strait. It would be better for the US and Japan to restrain themselves."