China has issued a forceful diplomatic warning to the United States regarding escalating tensions surrounding Taiwan, cautioning that American alignment with separatist elements risks creating a dangerous confrontation between the two global powers. The statement came from Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for China’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, during a Wednesday press briefing where she articulated Beijing’s growing concerns over recent developments.
Zhu emphasized that Taiwan constitutes an internal Chinese matter that permits no external interference, directly criticizing what she characterized as the provocative actions of Taiwan’s administration under Lai Ching-te. The spokeswoman specifically referenced Lai’s proposed $40 billion supplementary defense package intended for weapons procurement from the United States, alongside recent American media speculation about China’s military capabilities regarding the island territory.
According to Zhu, the current complex situation in the Taiwan Strait originates fundamentally from what she described as the Lai administration’s stubborn adherence to separatist policies and their continued collaboration with foreign powers to heighten tensions. She delivered Beijing’s unambiguous position that independence aspirations represent a ‘dead end’ while reaffirming China’s stance that reunification remains historically inevitable.
The spokeswoman further condemned Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for allegedly transforming island temples into venues for military preparedness briefings. Zhu characterized the reported series of 16 ‘civil defense safety guidelines’ sessions held at religious sites as a desecration of sacred spaces, accusing the DPP of converting places of tranquility into what she called ‘arms depots for stockpiling weapons and venues for beating the drums of war.’
Zhu additionally accused the DPP of repeatedly obstructing cross-Strait religious exchanges while allegedly appropriating deities including Mazu and Guan Gong as instruments of political propaganda. She asserted that temple gatherings are being exploited to deceive voters and manufacture inter-community hatred, conduct which she claimed has already drawn substantial public criticism.
The comments followed the US Senate’s December 11 passage of the PORCUPINE Act (Providing Our Regional Companions Upgraded Protection in Nefarious Environments Act), legislation designed to facilitate arms sales to Taiwan that received enthusiastic endorsement from the DPP administration. Zhu expressed strong opposition to the congressional push, demanding that Washington cease ‘arming Taiwan’ and refrain from interfering in China’s internal affairs.
In her concluding remarks, Zhu urged American compliance with the one-China principle and the provisions established in the three China-US joint communiques. She warned that the DPP authorities, driven by self-serving separatist motives, appear willing to permit external forces to transform Taiwan into what she termed a ‘war hedgehog’ while reducing the island’s population to mere cannon fodder.