Beijing, September 20: The double standards of China has been exposed as Beijing claimed of following a policy of "peace rooted in its DNA" in its recently released White Paper and on the other hand it has threatened Taiwan of more PLA jets entering its airspace whenever a senior US official visits the island.
According to an editorial piece of Global Times read, "Through this exercise and the previous series of exercises, the PLA has accumulated experience in attacking Taiwan and mastered key data on Taiwan's defence system. They are doing rehearsals on taking over Taiwan. What is needed is a political reason that can turn them into real battle to smash Taiwan independence forces." Taiwan Threatens China For Flying Fighter Jets Into Its Air Defence Identification Zone; 'Don’t Cross Line', Says Vice President Lai Ching-te.
"If Taiwan authorities try, they will definitely be met with the mainland's military solutions. Taiwan is a small place. It has no conditions for a modern military confrontation. Taiwan independence is a dead end," said the Chinese newspaper.
Revealing the duplicity in China behaviour, the Global Times published this editorial piece on the same day when China released a white paper on the participation of the country's armed forces in UN peacekeeping operations.
The White Paper claimed, "For millennia, peace has been in the veins and the DNA of the Chinese nation." Amid the Chinese intrusion for two days in a row, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen pledged deeper ties with the United States during the visit of Keith Krach, US Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, to the nation.
The visit of the senior-most US official has angered China. Soon after the talks between Taiwan and the US, Global Times said, "The collusion between the US and Taiwan island is becoming the most prominent source of turbulence in the Taiwan Straits. The PLA military exercise this time further focused on deterrence and a strike. If the US and Taiwan island think they can realize "normalization" of relations by adopting "salami tactics," they will be plunged into peril and risks. The mainland is determined to take all necessary means, including military options, to prevent the US and the island from upgrading their provocations."
Meanwhile, the Taiwan Ministry of Defence in a tweet after Friday's incident said, "PLA's military intimidation is deplorable and has caused resentment among people in Taiwan. We call on PRC to cherish peace and maintain regional stability."
Earlier this month, Taiwan had warned China not to "cross the line" saying that it wants peace but will defend its people. "Don't cross the line. China again flew fighter jets into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone today. Make no mistake, Taiwan wants peace but we will defend our people," Vice President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-Te said in a tweet.
During US Health Secretary Alex Azar's historic visit to Taiwan earlier, China deployed fighter jets that briefly crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, South China Morning Post had reported citing Taiwan's Defence Ministry. The ministry had said it had tracked the PLA fighters with its land-based anti-aircraft missiles and had "strongly driven them out".