Beijing and Taipei have begun a war of words after Taiwan’s new defense minister said the self-ruled island’s armed forces are battle ready to repel any aggression by the mainland, which he said had developed the capacity to invade and wage war across the strait.

The remarks from Chiu Kuo-cheng followed comments by U.S. Admiral Philip Davidson, Washington’s top military officer in the Asia-Pacific, who said on Tuesday that China could invade Taiwan within the next six years.

When responding to Davidson’s comments at the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday, Chiu said he was not only preparing for what may happen in six years down the line, but also planning for six hours later. He would not adjust his policies because of remarks coming from other countries, he said, adding that he believed it was up to people to save their own country through their own power.

The time it would take the U.S. to come to Taiwan’s assistance was also not part of his considerations, he said, and there was no time limit on how long Taiwan’s forces would continue to fight an invading force.

In response, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said some people within the administration of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party “talked wildly” and exposed the “endless provocation” of the pro-independence forces on the island.

Independence is a dead end for Taiwan, and the DPP administration would face “a devastating failure” if it continued to gamble with the interests of people and peace across the strait, Zhu said.

Zhu made no direct comment on Chiu’s claim that the Chinese military stands ready to invade Taiwan, reiterating Beijing’s line that China would reserve all necessary options against the interference of external forces and secessionists in order to protect the interests of the Chinese people.

Click here for Chinese version

---------------------------------

Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE

To download the latest version,

iOS: bit.ly/AD_iOS

Android: bit.ly/AD_android

Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play