China says ‘fighter jets of the PLA must fly over the island of Taiwan’

Beijing warns that if Taiwanese fighter jets fire at Chinese warplanes flying over Taiwan, 'it means war'

Taiwan News
Date: 82020/10/27
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China's top propaganda platform on Monday declared that People's Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes "must fly over Taiwan" and if Taiwanese fighter jets fire on them, "it means war."

As the U.S. has announced the potential sale of a wide range of sophisticated weapons to Taiwan over the past few weeks, China on Monday (Oct. 26) announced sanctions on American companies involved in these arms deals. That same day, China's state-run mouthpiece the Global Times published an editorial by Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin (胡錫進) describing the sanctions as "countermeasures" against the U.S. weapons sales that will "gradually strengthen."

The editorial alleged that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leaders are promoting "de-sinicization," while the U.S. is using Taiwan to "jeopardize" the rise of China. Hu charged that the two are colluding together in using "salami tactics" against the communist regime.

The communist voicebox wrote that military means are China's "trump card for restraining Taiwan secessionists" and that during recent military exercises, PLA aircraft have "reached near the island of Taiwan." Hu claimed that this was a signal to Taiwan's government that it must "rein in at the brink."    [FULL  STORY]