A reaction from China to U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarks that Washington would defend Taiwan against China also came from a spokesman for Taiwan Affairs. The spokesman accused the US of “playing with fire”.
Zhu Fenglian, spokesman for Taiwanese Affairs at China’s State Council, said in a statement that the United States, which is trying to keep China under control by using the Taiwan map, will “burn itself.”
According to the French-language China Nouvelle website of China’s state news agency Xinhua, the spokesman called on the United States to immediately cease any rhetoric and actions that violate China’s founding principles.
At a press conference in Japan, Joe Biden, when asked by a journalist, “Will the United States protect Taiwan militarily if China invades?” he replied, “Yes. This is our commitment,” he replied, warning that his country would intervene militarily in the situation.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman reacted by saying, “The United States should not underestimate the determination of the Chinese people to protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity (with regard to Taiwan).”
Defeated by the communists in China’s civil war that resulted in Mao Zedong’s rise to power in 1949, the nationalists fled to the island of Taiwan.
Although there are close relations between the two sides in terms of business, culture and personal aspects, Taiwan, which emphasizes its democratic character, is not willing to be ruled by Beijing under the “One China”.
