World War 3: China threatens Taiwan INVASION to 'unify state' with FORCE if US Navy arrive

A SENIOR Chinese diplomat has threatened to invade Taiwan if the state tries to gain independence or if a US warship visits the island, it has been revealed.

By OP

07:27, Tue, Dec 12, 2017 | UPDATED: 08:11, Tue, Dec 12, 2017

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China considers Taiwan to be a wayward province and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control.

Diplomat Li Kexin said at a Chinese embassy event in Washington on Friday that China would activate its Anti-Secession Law if the US sent navy ships to Taiwan.

According to Chinese media, Li said: “The day that a US Navy vessel arrives in Kaohsiung is the day that our People’s Liberation Army unifies Taiwan with military force.”

The Anti-Secession law allows it to use force on Taiwan if deemed necessary to prevent the island from gaining independence.

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China considers Taiwan to be a wayward province

The threat to invade Taiwan has sparked a war of words with Taipei accusing Beijing of failing to understand what democracy means.

Although the United States has no formal ties with Taiwan it is bound by law to help it defend itself and is its main source of arms.

In September, the US Congress passed the National Defence Authorisation Act for the 2018 fiscal year, which authorises mutual visits by navy vessels between Taiwan and the United States.

Beijing regularly calls Taiwan the most sensitive and important issue between it and the United States.

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Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said late on Saturday that, while Chinese officials seemed to want to try and win over hearts and minds in Taiwan, they also had been repeatedly using threats that hurt the feelings of Taiwan’s people.

The ministry said: “These methods show a lack of knowledge about the real meaning of the democratic system and how a democratic society works.”

China suspects Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who leads the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, wants to declare the island’s formal independence.

Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan’s security.

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Influential Chinese tabloid the Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, said China would never back down over Taiwan.

In an editorial, the paper said: “The Chinese mainland has never given up the option of Taiwan reunification by force, which is clear to people across the Taiwan Strait.

“Li’s words have sent a warning to Taiwan and drew a clear red line. If Taiwan attempts to hold an independence referendum or other activities in pursuit of de jure ‘Taiwan independence’, the PLA will undoubtedly take action.”

China’s foreign policy has been pushing southwards to the South China Sea and has led to territorial disputes with neighbours.

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China suspects Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen wants to declare the island’s formal independence

In November, Beijing deployed warplanes and bombers to fly over the disputed South China Sea during a series of military training drills in a show of force against the United States.

China has previously accused the US of trying to militarise the region as escalation continues to mount over Beijing’s ally North Korea.

China is in the midst of an ambitious military modernisation programme that includes building aircraft carriers and developing stealth fighters to give it the ability to project power far from its shores.

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Taipei accused Beijing of failing to understand what democracy means

Taiwan is well armed, mostly with US weaponry, but has been pressing Washington to sell it more high-tech equipment to better deter China.

Earlier this year, the US issued a stark warning that it would not accept China’s militarisation of man-made islands in the South China Sea.

China's territorial claims in the South China Sea – through which about £3.9trillion in ship-borne trade passes each year – are contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.