China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun speaks during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, Sunday, June 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The prospect of peaceful “reunification” with Taiwan is being increasingly “eroded” by Taiwanese separatists and external forces, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said on Sunday, promising to ensure independence never happens.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the strong objections of the government in Taipei, and last month staged war games round the island in anger at the May 20 inauguration of President Lai Ching-te who Beijing calls a “separatist”.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference in Singapore, Mr. Dong said Taiwan was the “core of core issues” for China, but Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party is incrementally pursuing separatism and bent on erasing Chinese identity.

“Those separatists recently made fanatical statements that show their betrayal of the Chinese nation and their ancestors. They will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history,” he said.

“China stays committed to peaceful reunification, however this prospect is increasingly being eroded by separatists for Taiwan independence and foreign forces,” Mr. Dong added.

“We will take resolute actions to curb Taiwan independence and make sure such a plot never succeeds.”

China has been repeatedly angered by U.S. support for Taiwan, even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, such as arms sales.

The government in Taipei says Taiwan is already an independent country, the Republic of China. The Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s Communists who set up the People’s Republic of China.