A People's Liberation Army (PLA) general has said that an attack on Taiwan would be "just and legitimate," and "supported and participated in by the Chinese people."
"Once the Chinese government is forced to use force to resolve the Taiwan question, it will be a war for reunification, a just and legitimate war supported and participated in by the Chinese people, and a war to crush foreign interference," said Lieutenant General He Lei in an interview with Chinese state media outlet the Global Times.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, an annual three-day gathering held along the lines of Singapore's premier defense forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue. The 10th edition of the Beijing event is being held from October 29 to 31.
The annual forum attracts defense officials, diplomats, and experts from around the world and is seen as a platform for Beijing to share its views on geopolitics.
Gen. He added that China will "fight bravely under unified command and achieve complete reunification of the motherland with the least casualties."
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, although the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has never governed the self-administered island in its seven decades in power. While Beijing considers Taiwan's unification with the mainland as the ultimate political goal, people in Taiwan have expressed support for formal independence or "maintaining the status quo."
According to a recent poll by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation, 48.9 percent of Taiwanese respondents support obtaining formal national independence, while 26.9 percent favor maintaining the "status quo" and 11.8 percent support unification with China.
Gen. He is a retired senior official who stepped down from active duty after his last position as the deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Military Science. The general has made similar remarks about Taiwan in the past.
Gen. He said that the "responsibility for provoking war" lies with the "Taiwan authorities," "Taiwan independence secessionist forces" and "external interfering forces."
The in-person edition of the forum is taking place after a hiatus of three years, the COVID pandemic having disrupted the gathering since 2019.
Beijing has said representatives from 90 countries are participating in this year's forum, including officials from the U.K., Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Singapore and South Korea.
Although officials from the U.S. are also attending, in comments on U.S.-China military exchanges, Gen. He said it was regrettable that Defense Secretary Austin was not there.
He blamed Washington for undermining the bilateral relationship, citing U.S. support for Taiwan as one of the primary reasons for the current phase of difficulties.
"The United States must resolutely correct any behavior that interferes with China's internal affairs and undermines China's core interests, especially when it comes to the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue," Gen. He told China's state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN) in an interview.
Gen. He wasn't the only one to warn the U.S. over the Taiwan question.
The PLA will "show no mercy" against moves to promote Taiwan independence, said General Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, at the forum.
Gen. Zhang is the most senior PLA official at the forum, as the post of defense minister remains vacant after former defense minister Li Shangfu was removed without any official explanation.
Beijing has yet to officially appoint a new defense minister. At the last edition of the forum, the defense minister officially represented the PLA as the face of China's military diplomacy.
Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, believes an attack on Taiwan is not imminent.
"China's rhetoric and aggressive maneuvers should be viewed not as a sign of imminent attack, but for what they are: a demonstration of Chinese resolve that it will not accept Taiwan's permanent separation from China, and a chance for the P.L.A. to hone its skills—should Beijing one day feel compelled to use them," said Glaser in a recent New York Times op-ed.
On the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Gen. He appeared to take an indirect swipe at Washington.
"We should resolutely oppose some countries with ulterior motives from adding fuel to the fire, creating bias and stirring up trouble," He said.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
