China Warns US: Any 'Plotting' on Taiwan Would Lead to 'Confrontation'

China - Ekhbary News Agency

China Warns US: Any 'Plotting' on Taiwan Would Lead to 'Confrontation'

In a global geopolitical landscape marked by escalating points of tension, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has issued an unequivocal warning to the United States. In a statement this Saturday, the minister asserted that any maneuver aimed at "plotting" to disassociate the island of Taiwan from China would "very likely" provoke a direct "confrontation." This declaration comes as Sino-American relations remain strained, particularly over the Taiwan issue, which Beijing considers a renegade province destined for reunification with the mainland, including by force if necessary.

The question of Taiwan has been at the heart of divergences between China and the United States for decades. Since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, which saw nationalists retreat to the island while communists took power on the mainland, Beijing has firmly upheld the "One China" principle. Although Washington diplomatically recognizes the People's Republic of China, it maintains strong unofficial ties with Taipei and remains its primary arms supplier—a situation Beijing perceives as blatant interference in its internal affairs and a threat to its territorial sovereignty.

Wang Yi's warning was not solely aimed at Washington. The Chinese diplomat also vehemently denounced recent statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concerning the situation in Taiwan. Last November, Ms. Takaichi had suggested that Japan might intervene militarily in the event of an attack on the island. These remarks were deemed by Beijing as a serious infringement on its sovereignty and have considerably stiffened bilateral relations between China and Japan, another major player in the Asia-Pacific region.

Continuing his address, Wang Yi drew a striking historical parallel, commending Germany for its radical break with Nazism after World War II, while citing Japan as a counter-example. He lamented that some war criminals are still revered there and that "the ghosts of Japanese militarism," responsible for unspeakable atrocities in Asia during the 1930s and 1940s, have "not disappeared." This scathing criticism resonates with painful historical memory in the region and underscores China's perception of a Japan that has not fully confronted its imperialist past.

The Chinese foreign minister concluded with a solemn warning addressed to Tokyo: "All peace-loving nations should warn Japan: if it wants to turn back and take that path, it can only rush to its downfall. If it wants to tempt fate again, then it will suffer an even faster and more crushing defeat." These remarks, of rare firmness, highlight the gravity with which Beijing views current geopolitical movements in the region, fearing a remilitarization of Japan or increased involvement in Taiwanese affairs.

In this complex diplomatic ballet, where regional and global powers vie for influence, China reaffirms its unwavering determination on the Taiwan issue and its vigilance against what it considers nationalist or militaristic resurgences. The year 2026 already promises to be a period of major challenges for stability in the Asia-Pacific, with increased risks of confrontation should Beijing's perceived red lines be crossed.

Ekhbary News Agency