China Tells Taiwan "Independence Means War" As Rival War Games Ongoing

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Days ago amid soaring tensions over Taiwan a US carrier group entered the South China Sea. China's response was to fly a dozen aircraft in Taiwan's airspace while further announcing military drills in the Gulf of Tonkin.

And now China is warning Taiwan that "independence means war" in Thursday remarks out of the Defense Ministry. During a monthly press briefing Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian was asked about regional tensions, and he responded by saying that "military activities" in the Taiwan Strait "are necessary actions to address the current security situation"

He then warned in a repeat of past foreign ministry and PLA leadership statements: "Those who play with fire will burn themselves, and 'Taiwan independence' means war."

On Monday Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian slammed the nearby US military movements, saying "It does no good to regional peace and stability for the United States to frequently send military vessels and aircraft to the South China Sea to show off muscles."

He announced the Gulf of Tonkin drills would run from Wednesday through Saturday, but there's little details known in terms of size of the exercise, which is a clear signal to the US naval vessels in the region. Specifically the USS Theodore Roosevelt is now patrolling the South China Sea in an operation dubbed "freedom of operation" movements.