In a significant development regarding the Taiwan crisis, China has threatened to attack any forces sent by the United States to defend the island, which has become a focal point for escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing to unprecedented levels. The Chinese state-run newspaper "Global Times" reported that Beijing is prepared to launch an attack on any American forces in the event of a military conflict in the region.
This Chinese threat followed a commitment from U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, stating that Washington "will never allow" a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The Chinese newspaper asserted that "such threats are not credible because the U.S. cannot bear the cost of defending Taiwan." The "Global Times" urged Sullivan to "shut his big mouth and avoid bringing further embarrassment to his country."
To underscore the seriousness of its threat, China sent 13 warplanes toward Taiwan's airspace on Friday, including eight fighters, two nuclear bombers, two reconnaissance aircraft, and one anti-submarine aircraft. Taipei reported that the Chinese planes made a brief incursion into the Taiwanese air defense zone.
The "Global Times" stated, "No one believes that the United States has the true will to defend Taiwan at any cost," adding that it is "far from defending Taiwan at the expense of a deadly war." The editorial noted that "Washington may think that sending U.S. forces to the island is a deterrent, but they will actually find themselves simply under attack."
Beijing considers Taiwan a part of its territory, while the United States sees Taipei as an important sphere of influence. China has ramped up its military and political pressure on Taiwan to accept its sovereignty over the island, prompting anger from Taipei, which has repeatedly stated that it will not succumb to intimidation and has the right to participate on the international stage as an independent country. Recently, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that Taiwan's allies, now numbering only 14 countries, remain by its side due to U.S. pressures and his term "dollar diplomacy," a claim that Taiwan denies.
