If Taiwan is protected by diplomatic allies in the military conflict US and Australia will be all-out war, threatens former Chinese official
Victor Gao, who was once communist leader Deng Xiaoping’s translator and now serves as a mouthpiece for the government, warned western powers to stay out of China’s quest to annex the disputed territory, 180km off its coast.
The island nation, backed by the US and Japan, broke away from the mainland in 1949 after the civil war.
It has democratically-elected leaders and fiercely opposes reunification and the totalitarian rule of Beijing.
But President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated he plans to take over Taiwan by 2027 as part of the ‘great rejuvenation of China’ using military force if necessary.
US President Joe Biden last month vowed American troops will stand in China’s way if any attempt is made to conquer the island.
On Friday, defence minister Peter Dutton made similar remarks saying it would be ‘inconceivable’ that Australian troops wouldn’t back up the US if such a scenario played out in the region.
The pushback has made China’s tough-talking Wolf Warrior diplomats furious.
‘Those who want to block unification will be doomed to fail,’ Mr Gao told 60 Minutes.
‘If Australia goes to fight together with US soldiers in China’s drive for reunification between China’s mainland and China’s Taiwan, then you are talking about the worst thing you could dream of – a war between China and the United States.
‘That would soon escalate out of control and that will be Armageddon, Armageddon, and Armageddon.’
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